Outside Hearts
by kiloriley
Summary: Rachel Berry's world is about to be turned upside down when one of Hollywood's most sought-after young actresses, Quinn Fabray, abruptly and mysteriously leaves her fame behind, moves to Ohio and tries to have a normal life while attending McKinley High. (Faberry w/ some Brittana)
1. You Were So Famous, I Couldn't Resist

Author's Note: Hey all. This is my first attempt at writing FanFiction for Glee. I hope you all like it. I'm a fan of Brittana, but lately I've really been jumping on the Faberry train. Hopefully I can do these characters justice. It's a bit AU (because of Quinn's character) but for the most part, it's centered around the the same old (original) Glee. I know the first chapter is a bit short, but it's just getting started. So let's do this!

FYI, each chapter title is lyrics from songs I love. Just because.

* * *

It started with a song. One fucking song. Rachel Berry always knew music would change her life, but she never expected it would lead her here. Right here. On the doorstep of Quinn Fabray's house. Shaking, weak, nervous, sweating from the California heat and having absolutely no clue what she was doing here, she used every ounce of strength she had to raise her knuckles to the front door. She had no idea what she would say or how she would say it, but with that first echoing knock, she knew she'd simply have to rely on instinct. Because there was no going back now.

To understand how Rachel got here to this sad, pathetic point on her proverbial scabbed knees with her heart completely exposed for all the world to see, you have to go back. Way back to her junior year of high school. That's where it started. Junior year. In the choir room. With that fucking song.

* * *

Rachel nervously lingered at her locker, peering through the grates in the locker door just in time to see a blurry version of Finn Hudson twirling his drumsticks as he walked into the choir room. Avoiding Finn had been her newfound hobby after things had ended disastrously between them last year. Since then, she had developed a penchant for hallway espionage, tracking his every move so she wouldn't have to deal with him face to face. The only time she was forced to interact with him was in glee club. But she sure as hell wasn't about to quit. Glee club was hers. She was there from its inception. It was her baby and she refused to let a boy come between her and her one true passion.

Still, she kept her distance. She watched closely as Finn fully disappeared out of view, unable to focus on anything else.

"Berry!"

Rachel jumped. Her heart leapt up into her throat. She let out a squeal, abruptly turned around and rammed her shoulder into the locker door.

"Ouch." She grabbed her shoulder and winced while accidentally dropping her chemistry book.

"Wow. Smooth, Berry."

Rachel bent down to pick up her book and looked up to see Santana Lopez in her Cheerios uniform hovering over her and shaking her head.

"Taking up voyeurism now, are we? I always knew you had a kinky side." Santana winked at Rachel as she walked away. "Britt! Wait up!" She ran over to Brittany, grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the choir room.

Rachel closed her locker and reluctantly followed them. She took her seat in the front row and waited for rehearsal to begin. She was hoping to make it through practice without having to actually interface with anybody. That wish was short-lived when she felt someone tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, do you think it's true?"

Rachel turned around to see Kurt's eyes grow wide with wonderment.

"Huh?"

"You didn't hear?" asked Kurt.

"Hear what?"

"Are you guys talking about what I think you're talking about?" asked Tina, as she took a seat next to Rachel.

"I have no idea," replied a confused Rachel.

"Oh, it's true," Artie chimed in. "Totally legit. I saw her myself."

"No way. When did you see her?" asked Kurt.

"This morning. In the front office."

Rachel was tired of everyone talking around her about something she was obviously kept in the dark about. "Wait, what the hell are you guys talking about?"

"Rachel, have you been living under a rock?" asked Kurt, as he moved stray hair out of his face. "McKinley High has its very own celebrity walking the halls."

"Well that's very nice, but I'm not famous yet, Kurt," countered Rachel.

"Very funny. I'm talking about Quinn Fabray. She's here. At McKinley. Like…_going_ here. For school."

Rachel shifted in her seat. Her ears perked up at the sound of Quinn's name. "_The _Quinn Fabray? Star of 'Outside Hearts' Quinn Fabray? Jessica Shay, herself, is going here?"

"So…you're a fan?"

Rachel turned around, adjusted her skirt and faced forward. "Not really. I've just seen the show on occasion."

"Right. Well…yes. _That_ Quinn Fabray." Kurt stood up and walked over to the piano. Tina followed suit, leaving Rachel to take in the gravity of what she just found out. To her left, she could hear the other glee club members buzzing about the news. She tried to lean in a bit to hear their whispers, but was interrupted by one of Mr. Schue's overly dramatic grand entrances.

"Hey guys!" He pranced in and grabbed his dry erase marker. "Now before anyone says anything, yes, the rumors are true." He turned around and was met with a dozen pairs of eyes hanging on to his every word. "I did get a haircut."

Half the group rolled their eyes while the other half snickered as Mr. Schue turned to the whiteboard and began writing.

"Our theme this week is: Welcome."

"Welcome?" scoffed Mercedes.

"Yes. Welcome. As in, let's welcome our new student. Now, besides my new haircut, I figured I'd address the other rumor running wild among us. Yes, we have a new, somewhat well-known student at McKinley. And I want you all to make her feel at home."

"Is she joining glee?" asked Tina, a little too excitedly.

"Who cares?" Santana deadpanned, complete with an epic eye-roll.

"Hey, if she can sing, let's get her in here," said Artie.

Everyone knew what that meant. They all immediate grew silent and looked over at Rachel. She looked at all of them, trying to figure out why they were so intent on staring at her.

"What?"

"Rachel, you don't have anything to say about getting Quinn to join glee club?" Mr. Schue was careful to approach the subject gently, without making any sudden movements.

Rachel shrugged. "If she wants to join, then fine."

Santana rolled her eyes, yet again and sighed. "Unbelievable."

"What?"

Santana shook her head, "Nothing."

After that, Rachel remained noticeably silent, as she had been since school started a month ago. Her demeanor had altered drastically since last year. She was no longer the loud, opinionated know-it-all everyone had come to know her as. Something within her had changed around the time she and Finn broke up.

She glanced over in his general direction and caught his eye for a brief moment. They both quickly looked away, casually pretending their eyes hadn't met. The awkwardness still lingered.

Mr. Schue excitedly clapped his hands. "Okay, now that that's settled, who's up? Rachel?"

Rachel was caught off guard. "Oh…No thank you. I...I don't have anything prepared."

Santana looked at Rachel as if she had sprouted a second head. "So...you're actually giving us a Rachel-free singing environment? Can we freeze this moment?"

Rachel let the remark roll off her back. "I'm just not feeling up to it right now." She could feel everyone's eyes fall upon her, but she remained focused on the cold, tiled ground. It wasn't like her to relinquish the spotlight like this, but lately she didn't seem to care. Something other than stardom was weighing more heavily on her mind.

"All right. Anyone else?"

Puck raised his hand. "I've got something that works with the 'welcome' theme. I know Quinn's not here to hear it, but how about a little Guns 'n Roses?"

"The floor is all yours."

As Rachel prepared herself to smile her way through Puck's rousing rendition of "Welcome to the Jungle," she tried not to focus on her increasingly sweaty palms and elevated heart rate and wondered how many more welcome songs she'd have to sit through today before she could go home.

* * *

Word of the "Outside Hearts" star attending McKinley had spread quickly and by the next day, the name Quinn Fabray was on everybody's lips. Rachel couldn't walk the halls without hearing that name echo in her ears.

Rachel was lost in her own world while walking to her next class. She was too busy trying to pin down one of the millions of thoughts floating around in her head. The thought she managed to grab on to was the idea of actually meeting Quinn Fabray in person. What would she say? How would she act? Why did she even care that she was going to school here? She was just another person. No different than herself. Sure, she was paparazzi fodder and had legions of autograph seekers. But Rachel would have all that herself, soon enough. She decided it really wasn't that big a deal. Her last movie was only so-so, anyway. By this point, Rachel was so deep in thought, she didn't even notice the six foot tall figure approaching her.

"Rachel," uttered Finn, nervously.

Even her own name couldn't snap her out of her daze.

"Rachel."

Suddenly, she realized that "Rachel" was meant for her and it was coming from the mouth of the boy she used to fawn over day and night. Before he could speak her name one more time, she managed to maneuver around him and run right into the girls' bathroom. She slammed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hiding from someone?"

Rachel whipped around and was met with an angelic face. It only took her a second to realize that Quinn Fabray was standing right in front of her, washing her hands. Christ, she washes her hands. Up til now, Rachel didn't even believe a girl like Quinn even went to the bathroom. She just seemed too perfect.

"Uh..." Rachel couldn't help but stare. She was enraptured by her 5'9" frame, her alabaster skin unmarked by any blemish, her green eyes full of electricity and light, her dizzying floral print dress and her perfectly coifed blond hair. She does exist. In the flesh. Standing right in front of her. She was real. And she was also staring at Rachel, waiting for a response.

Rachel's doe eyes finally pulled away from Quinn and searched the room for help. The sinks were of no help at all. The soap dispensers just hung there on the wall, not lifting a finger to help. The mirror only made things worse when it showed Rachel exactly how pathetic she looked at this moment. In front of Quinn Fabray. Flawless Quinn Fabray. Nope. No help from the mirror. Rachel was going to have to rely on her wits to get her out of this. Before she could get a word out, the bathroom door swung open, hitting Rachel and causing her to lurch forward and tumble towards the sink. And that was the nail in the coffin. She was done for.

"Are you okay?" asked Flawless Quinn Fabray.

Rachel couldn't speak. All Quinn got in response was a few jumbled noises and what sounded like a baby trying to form its first word. Any chance of salvaging this moment was long gone. Rachel stood there, embarrassed, afraid and hopeless. She gave Quinn a little shrug and ran out of the bathroom as quickly as she ran in. Now she had to add Flawless Quinn Fabray to the list of people she had to avoid.


	2. I Don't Know Her, I Only Know Her Name

**Author's note: Hey all. Thanks so much for all the reviews on my first chapter. I'm pretty excited about this. I got a few comments about Quinn's appearance. I screwed up on the eye color (my bad) and that has been fixed. Calli it a result of deliriously writing too late at night. But the height wasn't really a mistake. It will be addressed. I promise! Perhaps even in this chapter…hmm….**

* * *

By the time Friday rolled around, Rachel was glad the week was almost over. Even her Friday night Glee rehearsal seemed like an insurmountable task. Since her run-in with Quinn Fabray, every day added a new level of stress and nervousness. Would this be the day Quinn joined Glee? Would she walk into the room, see that poor, pathetic girl who couldn't form a string of coherent words together and think 'Oh, _she's _in glee? Must be a loser's club' and then walk out? With each passing day, even though her anxiety kept building, it seemed less and less likely that Quinn would be lending her vocals to New Directions.

Rachel absentmindedly watched as Brittany led Santana to their seats. Brittany was engaging her girlfriend in a story about getting lost in her closet this morning. Santana tried to hide her smirk and playfully nudged Brittany's thigh.

Rachel smiled for the first time that week. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all. Of course, there are always those moments when one speaks too soon. And this was one of those moments because the second Rachel felt a little bit of her anxiety fall away, Finn excitedly charged into the choir room.

"Hey guys! Guess who I ran into on the way here?"

He turned around and all eyes were focused on the doorway where a young blonde stood looking tentative, yet giving off the perception that she actually owned that doorway. And the entire room, for that matter.

Rachel stiffened up immediately. She wanted so badly to look away, but her eyes wouldn't let her. They were probably afraid that they'd never be able to see such perfection ever again and wanted to soak up as much as they could.

Quinn took a step forward, fully revealing the same perfect form Rachel had encountered in the bathroom four days ago.

The room was silent. The only movement Rachel noticed was Santana's mouth falling half-open. She was practically ogling her; moving her eyes up and down, studying Quinn's head to her feet. Seeing how gorgeous Quinn Fabray was in person obviously had a tangible effect on her. She ever-so-discreetly reached over and took Brittany's hand, holding it a little tighter than she normally does. Rachel couldn't help but smile at the sight of Santana staking her claim over Brittany. It was nice to know that even Santana Lopez had her moments of insecurity. Santana cleared her throat and casually looked around the room once she realized her ogling may have lasted a little too long.

Mr. Schue got up and greeted her.

"Hi Quinn, welcome to the glee club. Have a seat."

"Thanks." Quinn found an empty seat three chairs down from Rachel. Finn eagerly followed and sat next to her.

"So Quinn, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself," said Mr. Schue as he took a seat on the piano bench.

Before Quinn could respond, Santana stood up.

"I got this. Mr. Schue, don't you read US Weekly? Allow me: She's from LA, she's a notorious drug addict, she's had three abortions, has an eating disorder, she's a raging, demanding bitch on set, she's left a trail of broken hearts among many Hollywood heartthrobs and she picks up her own dry cleaning...just like me." She looked over at Quinn. "Does that about cover it?"

"Santana!" Finn shot her a dirty look.

Quinn forced a smile and shrugged. "I think you pretty much nailed it."

Rachel leaned over, pulled at Santana's arm and whispered, "Sit down."

"What? I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

Kurt leaned forward. "Well I, for one, would like to officially welcome you. Hi. I'm Kurt. And you're fabulous. I absolutely love your work."

"Oh...uh…thank you. Thanks. It's nice to meet you."

"Kurt, calm your tits and quit your fangirling," barked Santana as she took her seat.

"All right, everyone. I have your assignment for next two weeks." Mr. Schuester grabbed a stack of papers from the desk. "I want you all to learn and perform more obscure songs. Songs that you don't normally hear on the radio. We need to diversify. Most of these are fairly current, just not getting a lot of airplay. Now, I don't really know any of these songs, so I'm just going to assign them at random."

Puck raised his hand. "If you don't know the songs, how did you find them?"

"I did some googling. Talked to some people online who seem to know a lot about music. Hey, do you guys know what a Tumblr is?"

Nobody answered. They were too busy looking over their song assignments.

Mr. Schue handed Rachel her song. "Rachel, I'd like you to team up with Quinn for this assignment."

Rachel's brain sparked. She could swear she heard an actual explosion.

"Wait, what?"

"She's new. You're experienced. And I'd like to see how well your voices blend together."

Rachel looked over at Flawless Quinn Fabray, who was looking right back at her. Her eyebrows arched as she gave a tiny shrug. Quinn then stood up and made her way over to Rachel. Her clacking heels reverberating through the room. The closer Quinn got, the further up Rachel's head went until the blonde was hovering over her.

"So…you're Rachel?"

All she could do was nod as Quinn took a seat next to her. She gently reached over and took the paper from Rachel's hand. And Rachel let it happen. It was all she could do. Just the feeling of the paper sliding out of her hands was enough to render her motionless.

Quinn perused the lyrics and raised her hand. "Excuse me. Um…I've never heard this song before."

"Good. That's kind of what I wanted," said Mr. Schue.

Quinn kept reading the page. "These lyrics are kind of…intense."

Mr. Schue read a couple lines from the song and nodded. "Well, look at it as a challenge."

Quinn pursed her lips, a bit unsure of exactly how to react to that statement. She looked over at Rachel. "So, I guess we can meet up sometime next week to practice?"

Before Rachel could answer, Artie and Tina made their way to the center of the room.

"Mr. Schue, we prepared a little something for this week's Welcome assignment. And we just wanted to say hi and welcome to Quinn."

As the music started, Artie spun around, rolled up to Quinn and started singing.

_"I could stick around and get along with you, hello._

_It doesn't really mean that I'm into you, hello._

_It's all right, I'm getting dizzy, just enjoy the party,_

_It's all right with me if you don't have that much to say,_

_Kinda like this thing, but really you should know_

_I just came to say hello."_

Brittany, Finn and Mike jumped up from their chairs and joined Artie and Tina, startling Quinn. She looked at them a bit skeptically, but tried to keep her composure. She leaned over to Rachel.

"Do you guys do this every week?"

Rachel smiled nervously as she watched her friends dance around and sing for the unsuspecting new girl.

_"Kinda like this thing but really you should know, _

_I just came to say hello."_

Once the song ended, Quinn shifted in her seat and looked around. She started clapping.

"Wow. That was…unexpected. You guys are really good. So, you sing and people just…join in?"

"Pretty much," replied Finn.

"What if you don't know the song?" asked Quinn.

"You learn to kind of just go with it," said Mr. Schue. "So what do you think, Quinn? Do you want to join the glee club?"

Rachel looked over, curious about what Quinn's response would be. Part of her wanted to hear 'yes.' The other part was hoping for a 'no.' For some reason, Quinn's presence had a way of making Rachel's brain become disjointed. Upon each second of waiting for a response, Rachel became more and more agitated. Why wasn't she answering? What was there to think about?

"I don't know." Quinn looked back at Rachel. "I guess we'll see how things go."

* * *

The following week, Rachel could feel a sense of impending doom. She hadn't yet attempted to contact Quinn about their duet and they had to perform next week. She closed her locker and noticed a shock of blonde hair at the end of the hall. She didn't need to look twice to know that it was Quinn. Her face was one she had seen so many times on her TV. It was almost surreal to see it in person. She knew avoidance was no longer an option, so she prepared herself to go talk to her. That is until her ex-boyfriend rounded the corner and set up shop right in front of Lima's most famous resident. If there was ever a moment Rachel wanted to hit her locker, this was it.

"Berry, give it up. He's moved on."

Rachel turned to see who was interrupting her sulk-fest. "Leave me alone, Santana."

"Oh come on, Stumpy the Wonder Troll, don't be so bitter."

Rachel's anger level had reached its limit.

"Santana, shut up! I'm so sick of hearing your constant bitchiness. You just keep hovering, waiting for me to think I can't possibly feel any lower and then you swoop in and find a way to make me feel worse. What do you get out of this?" Rachel turned to walk away.

"Hey wait," Santana called after her. She grabbed Rachel by the arm and turned her around.

"What? I'm not crying."

"I know. I didn't think you were."

"Then what do you want?"

"I wanted to say it's about fucking time!" exclaimed Santana.

Rachel pulled her arm away from the Cheerio. "What's about time?"

"You finally fought back. You haven't done that since last year. You've just been taking everything I throw at you and haven't had any kind of snide response. It makes my brutal honesty a lot less fun."

"What's your point?"

"My point is, I miss the loudmouth, annoying Rachel with the grating, yet feisty, win-at-all-costs personality. What the hell happened to her? She's been neutered. Most likely by Gigantor over there. What happened between you and Finn?"

Rachel couldn't figure why exactly Santana was so concerned about her.

"It just…it didn't work out." Rachel decided it was better to be vague than to flat-out lie. Besides, Santana had a way of calling bullshit when someone was lying.

"Something had to have happened. What did he do to you?"

"Nothing. Things just got really intense for me one night and I think we both realized that it wasn't going to work. I don't want to deal with it. It's just easier to not have to face him."

Santana looked back at Quinn and Finn. "I don't even know how or why she's talking to him. It's bizarre. That boy has zero game." She turned back to face Rachel. "Are you really going to let Finn Hudson determine your happiness? He can go eat a bag of dicks."

Rachel smiled and shook her head. "It's not Finn. It's me."

They both turned their attention to the sound of Quinn's voice and Finn's laugh.

"Then why have you been looking over there every five seconds?"

Rachel was caught, but she refused to admit it.

"I didn't realize I was. I have to go. My dad's are expecting me."

"Whatever. I have better things to do, anyway." Santana walked past Rachel, brushing her shoulder along the way.

Rachel turned abruptly and almost slammed right into Quinn, her face at Quinn's chest level. She forced her eyes to look elsewhere and figured the floor was as good a place as any to focus on.

"Oh, sorry. I…I didn't see you," said Rachel, wondering how ninja Quinn managed to sneak up behind her when she was fifty feet away five seconds ago.

"Funny, you seem to be the only one," quipped Quinn.

Rachel closed her eyes, took a break and composed herself before finally looking Quinn in the eye.

"Sorry, it was a bad joke," offered Quinn. "I was just going to say I realized we hadn't really set up a time to work on the song."

Quinn was met with silence, so she continued. "So I was thinking maybe we could meet at your house?"

Whoa. Rachel was not expecting that. Quinn Fabray. In her house. In her room. It was too much. It was all too much. All she could do was nod.

"Okay then. How about tomorrow at 6?"

Rachel nodded once more.

"Okay then. What's your address?"

"Um…address?"

"Yeah. So I know what direction to aim my car. When I come over. To practice," answered Quinn, rather condescendingly. She started digging through her bag and pulled out a pen. "Here, write it down."

She handed the pen to Rachel and held out her hand. Rachel swallowed hard and reached her shaky hand out to grab Quinn's. Her hand was smooth, almost as if it was made of pure lotion. Rachel was fixated on the three small freckles near the base of her thumb. She wrote each number and letter out very slowly and carefully, trying to keep it as legible as possible as she tried to cover up the shaking. Quinn's soft fingers wiggled slightly in Rachel's hand – a reaction to the tickling of the ballpoint pen. While keeping her eyes on Rachel, she slowly pulled her hand away and blew on the fresh ink. Rachel felt the air coming from Quinn's lips and it sent chills down her spine. Her eyes followed Quinn as she walked past.

"Great. See you tomorrow, Rachel."

* * *

Rachel moved her head along to the music coming from her headphones as she thumbed through the pages of the latest issue of Backstage West. She rolled over on her stomach and her pink fuzzy slippers swayed back and forth with her feet. She normally saved her Backstage West reading for Saturday mornings with breakfast, but this evening she needed a stress-reliever. Once she reached the last page, she flung it over to the growing pile of back-issues and reached for her current issue of People Magazine. The music of Miss Saigon was the current soundtrack in her ears. She was deeply immersed in the music while reading about the the latest movies coming to theaters. When she turned the page, her heart palpitated. A very familiar face graced the upper half of page 13. Rachel was captivated. She pulled the magazine closer in order for her eyes to see every flawless angle of that face. In the photo, her hair is disheveled, she's wearing a skin-tight cat suit and holding a gun. Rachel glanced at the caption below.

**"Quinn Fabray stars as Emily Stark 'Ten Stories Down,' out in December"**

Her curiosity got the best of her and she read the article that followed.

_"Quinn Fabray, the most sought-after up-and-comer in Hollywood stars in her third feature film. A different genre than her last two films, in 'Ten Stories Down,' Emily Stark is in a race against time to figure out who framed her for her boyfriend's murder. A far cry from her hit TV series, Fabray says this film was "…so fun to do. They even let me do a few of my own stunts. It was a challenge, but I loved it." Since wrapping this film and then leaving her show at the end of last season, Fabray has been somewhat M.I.A - most likely taking a well-deserved vacation."_

Rachel traced the contours of Quinn's face with her finger. She didn't exactly know why, but she was definitely looking forward to seeing if Emily Stark would be able to clear her name. She brought her hand up to the top of the page and lingered there for a minute. She tore the page out, folded it carefully and tucked it away under her bed.

She looked over at her clock and groaned. In a half hour, Quinn Fabray would be in her room. And with the way Rachel's luck has been going, Quinn would likely be doing most of the talking. She thought back to earlier that day and cringed remembering how dumbstruck she was. She rolled over, grabbed her pillow and placed it over her head, muffling the scream she let out.

Once she was ready to see the light of day again, she removed the pillow and was met with a tall figure standing over her.

Terrified of the shadow above her, Rachel let out a blood curdling scream.

Quinn jerked back and covered her ears.

Rachel jumped off the bed and took out her headphones.

"You scared the crap out of me."

"I'm early. I'm sorry. Your dad let me in."

Rachel tried to catch her breath. "Sorry I screamed."

"Sorry I scared you."

It took a moment for Rachel's breathing to regulate. Once the rush left her body, she realized exactly what was happening. Quinn was in her room, staring at her. And suddenly, the rush came back. She thought she had enough time to prepare for Quinn's visit. As it stood, her hair was a mess and her shirt was wrinkled from lying on it.

Quinn looked at Rachel's feet. "Nice slippers."

The brunette looked down and immediately kicked them off, wondering if the embarrassment would end any time soon. "Oh…they're just really comfortable."

"Should I come back? You seemed a little busy."

"No, it's fine. I was just…releasing some tension."

"You know, there are other ways to do that," quipped Quinn.

Rachel's face immediately got warm. She was red up to her ears. Did Quinn Fabray really just say that? How was she supposed to respond?

"That was joke, Rachel."

Quinn looked around the room. She examined the contents of the walls, the tributes to Barbra Streisand, the Broadway posters, the musical albums on her desk. She grabbed the stuffed animal from Rachel's bed.

"Cute."

Rachel had a hard time telling if Quinn was making fun of her or being sincere.

"Thanks." She opted out of telling her his name was Mr. Friggles. The chances of Quinn Fabray having any kind of stuffed animal were likely pretty slim. And Rachel was still trying to gauge whether or not Quinn was being sincere about things.

The silence between them was deafening. They each stood there on opposite sides of the room, both clamoring for something to say.

Rachel caved first. "You're a lot taller than I thought you'd be."

Quinn stepped out of her shoes and immediately became a few inches shorter. "I almost always wear heels. I guess I should probably invest in some winter shoes eventually."

"Lima winters can be unpredictable." Rachel watched the blonde's feet digging into the soft carpet. She was quite proud of herself for being able to sustain some semblance of a conversation and wanted to keep going. Small talk was the key. "S…so how are you liking McKinley?"

Quinn shrugged. "It's okay. It's different. Kind of an adjustment. A bit overwhelming. People are…well, everyone seems to have a different reaction toward me."

Rachel took a few steps closer. "Yeah. Most of us have never even seen a celebrity. Kurt said he swore he saw Evan Rachel Wood ordering an iced coffee at the Lima Bean once, but there are many holes in his story." She cautiously sat down on the bed. "Are they at least being nice?"

"Some are." Quinn ran her fingers over the fur of the stuffed animal. "People are like that anywhere I go, I guess. There are different categories. Those who stare, but don't say anything. Those who want to hang around me all the time. Those who are nice to my face and mean behind my back. Those who are mean to my face. Those who ignore me altogether. And those who can't seem to get a word out around me."

Rachel sighed and nervously chuckled. "I wonder what category I'm under."

"It's okay. I'm used to it. So, are you naturally shy? Or is it just me you don't talk to."

Rachel thought for a minute and at that moment, started to feel a little too comfortable. Once the words escaped her mouth, she instantly regretted it. "Actually, I don't really know what I am."

"That's an interesting statement. Why do you say that?"

"Nevermind. I don't know why I said that."

Quinn nodded and put the animal back on the bed. She walked over to look at the DVD collection next to the TV. Rachel's stomach dropped and she mentally cursed at herself. Why hadn't she done a quick sweep of her room before Quinn came over? She wanted to run and dive in front of her DVDs yelling 'Nooooooooo!' But she couldn't. She knew it was only a matter of time before Quinn found –

"'Outside Hearts' seasons one through four, huh? So you're a fan?" Quinn studied the cover, watching her own face stare back at her.

Rachel gulped. "I…I got it as a Hanukkah gift last year. It's…it's a cute show." All she wanted at this moment was to dive under her bed and not come out until graduation. She watched Quinn examine the DVD closely. "Do you miss it?"

Quinn didn't answer.

Rachel took this opportunity to observe Quinn more closely. Suddenly, she didn't seem so terrifying. Maybe it was because she wasn't as tall as Rachel remembered. Or maybe it was the fact that she appeared somewhat vulnerable in this moment. She was barefoot, in a stranger's home and holding an object that obviously brought up some bittersweet memories. Rachel gathered the courage to ask her what she had been wanting to ask her all week.

"Why did you leave LA?"

Quinn put it back on the shelf and cleared her throat. "So this song. Have you been learning it at all?"

So much for small talk. "I downloaded it yesterday. We might have to change the key a bit to fit my – I mean _our _voices." She went over to her computer and brought up the song.

Quinn sat down on the bed. "What do you think of it?"

"The song?"

"Yeah. I mean, do you feel weird at all about singing it?"

"Not really. I think it'll be okay," said Rachel.

"You wouldn't want to sing it with Finn or Puck or someone else?"

Rachel froze at the mention of Finn's name. "No. Not really," she answered curtly. "Why? Do you?"

Quinn remained silent.

"Are you and Finn like…dating?" Rachel immediately regretting asking that because she was terrified of the answer.

"I don't know. I mean, I know he _wants _to. He was hell bent on getting me to join glee. And he's always just…there. Every time I turn around. It's kind of sweet. He's not really like any of the guys I used to hang around. You don't think he's cute?"

"I used to." She hit play on her computer. "We should really start practicing."

Quinn stood up. "Well, let's get to it then."


	3. It Started Out With A Kiss

The following week, it was time for Rachel and Quinn to perform their song. They had only rehearsed it once. Rachel wanted at least one more day of practice, but Quinn didn't seem all that interested in perfecting it and said that she felt confident enough in the two hours they put into it. Every time Rachel found her at school, Quinn either turned and walked the other way or said she was too busy to talk. Rachel tried not to take it personally, but it was in her nature to assume that if someone couldn't talk to her, they were automatically avoiding her. They didn't talk much more the night Quinn came over. Any words exchanged were mainly about the song arrangement. Quinn didn't seem too exciting over the prospect of performing it, but Rachel thought that maybe it was because her voice was too intimidating and dominant. Every time she sang a note, Quinn would look at her in a way that was hard to describe. Was it jealousy? Annoyance? Reverence? Either way, Rachel was now under the impression that she had somehow upset Quinn and that's why she was avoiding her.

Rachel was mentally kicking herself. Perhaps she should have complimented Quinn's voice more. She should have told her it was beautiful and had perfect pitch. She should have shown more interest in her voice and showered her with compliments because that's what she was used to. That's the thing about hindsight. It's only apparent if you're looking back.

Rachel sat nervously in her chair before glee club started, checking the door every ten seconds for Quinn. They were performing first today and she wanted enough time to tell the blonde just how amazing her voice really was. Maybe it would help ease the tension a little bit. Two minutes later, Finn walked in escorting Rachel's duet partner. She was starting to get nauseated seeing them practically joined at the hip all the time. Quinn spotted Rachel and coyly tucked her hair behind her ear as she made her way over.

"Hey. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Rachel sheepishly stood up. "Yeah. I wanted to talk to you, too."

Quinn leaned in to whisper. "I don't think I can do this."

"What do mean?" Rachel panicked. She was convinced she had done something to really piss her off.

"I just don't know if I can do it. Maybe if it were a different song or—"

"But you have to. _We _have to. We practiced. You sounded really good. You have such an amazing voice." Rachel laid it on thick. "You hit every note perfectly."

Quinn smirked, unsure of what to say. "Thank you. But it's not that. I just…I don't feel comfortable, okay?"

Rachel reached her hand out to touch Quinn's arm, but immediately pulled back. Flawless Quinn Fabray probably didn't like to be touched. Best to just say it with words.

"It'll be fine. I have a hard time thinking that you of all people would have stage fright."

"It's not stage fright, it's—"

Mr. Schuester chose that exact moment to start. "All right, we've got a lot of songs to get through today, so let's get going. Rachel, Quinn…you're up!"

Rachel looked back at Quinn and motioned with her head. "Come on. I promise the jitters will fade once you start singing." She was not about to be ousted from her own performance. She may have been a little off this year, but she was still Rachel Freaking Berry. And she was a performer. The show must go on at any cost.

Quinn reluctantly made her way to the center of the floor, three feet to the right of Rachel. The brunette nodded to the band and the music started. Rachel knew every word, every note, every run by heart and she was looking forward to wowing the glee kids once again with her vocal prowess. Besides, she was one step closer to her dream. She was already performing side-by-side with a legitimate celebrity. She looked over at Quinn, who seemed to be focused on the empty chair Rachel was sitting in moments ago. Her face gave off no emotion. It was simply unreadable.

The music swelled and Quinn finally looked over at Rachel. Their eyes remained intent on each other. Rachel was trying to carry Quinn to a place of confidence. This was it. Their first notes were about to be sung in 3…2…

Right at that moment, Quinn's eyes lost contact with Rachel's. Her body shaking, she looked around the room.

"Quinn, that's our cue," Rachel whispered.

Quinn looked at her and mouthed "I'm sorry." Before Rachel knew it, she was gone. She bolted out the door before anyone had time to react. Rachel closed her eyes and stood there. Part of her was completely embarrassed. The other part was concerned. The music just kept playing while Rachel stood in silence, trying to decide whether or not to go it alone.

Finn stood up to go after Quinn. That was the moment Rachel made her decision.

"I'll go." Those were the first words she had uttered to Finn in four months. She was too out of breath from the adrenaline and the running to even realize it. When she reached the hallway, Quinn was rounding the corner. Rachel sprinted after her, her breath uneven and her heart pounding. As she rounded the corner, she watched the blonde run into the bathroom. Rachel slowed her sprint down to a trot. She needed time to prepare. What would she say? What the hell even happened?

She tentatively pushed the door open.

"Quinn?" Her voice quivered. The door opened fully to reveal a thin, blonde girl grasping each side of the middle sink, staring down into the white porcelain. Rachel was taken aback by the sight. Never had she seen someone look so vulnerable and scared. Quinn's arms were visibly shaking. Her normal pallor had turned slightly gray.

"Go away."

Rachel's initial reaction of anger and humiliation quickly melted away.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," responded the shaky voice. "I just need a minute."

Rachel closed the gap between them; each footstep sounding louder than the next. She would make a terrible ninja. Not knowing exactly how much space to leave between them, she leaned against the first sink and reached her hand out to touch Quinn's arm. Once she made contact, her fingers gently massaged her forearm.

"It's okay. It happens to the best of us."

Four seconds after initial contact, Quinn flinched and pulled her arm away. "I said I didn't want to do it."

"I know. I just thought you were nervous." Rachel reached her hand out again, hoping to comfort the other girl in some way.

Quinn backed away. "Leave me alone, Rachel."

She walked out the door without giving a second look, leaving Rachel to contemplate exactly what just happened.

* * *

That was the last Rachel had seen of Quinn that week. She was hoping at some point to casually run into her, but that didn't happen. Besides, what would she say? Quinn was a mystery to her and perhaps she wanted to keep it that way. Still, for some reason, Rachel couldn't stop thinking about her. She couldn't explain it. She didn't know what was happening, but somehow Quinn Fabray had ignited something within her. It was keeping her up at night. She tried to treat it like a song stuck in her head: once she heard it again, it was gone. So she watched an episode of "Outside Hearts" starring Quinn Fabray as Jessica Shay. But all that led to was more confusion and wanting to watch more episodes. So she took the entire DVD set and hid it under her bed. Not unlike hiding porn. She figured 'out of sight, out of mind.'

She was wrong.

Her thoughts took on a life of their own. She couldn't make up her mind about the girl who left her alone and embarrassed in front of the entire glee club. She went from believing Quinn was a scared person in a new environment to thinking she was just a selfish celebrity who had gotten too used to having things her way. Either way, Quinn Fabray was simply untouchable.

By the end of that week, Rachel's brain was fried. She was exhausted of going out of her way to not think about Quinn. But that would just lead to her thinking about _why_ she wasn't thinking about Quinn, which would get her thinking about Quinn all over again. It was a vicious cycle. She needed someone to talk to. Anyone.

She stopped by her locker to drop off some books before her history class. It was her last class of the week and she was thankful to have survived yet another week of school. She could enjoy the weekend. Work on her singing. No distractions. No Finn. And no Person-She's-Not-Allowed-To-Think-About. It would be just her, Sondheim and maybe some Webber.

"Hi Rachel," said Brittany as she was being led away by Santana.

"Hey Brittany." The bell rang and the halls were nearly empty. She watched as the two girls opened a door, looked around outside and disappeared, closing the door behind them.

Rachel closed her locker and walked over to where they were. She was desperate to talk to someone and since Santana had shown some impression of an interest in her, she figured 'why not?' Sure, she may be greeted with a snide comment and some sort of insult, but if she didn't talk to someone soon, her brain might just overload, which could lead to forgetting the lyrics to all her favorite songs. Such a travesty should never be allowed to happen.

So she approached the door they went into, not recognizing it as any classroom she'd ever been in. She pulled it open and was greeted by the site of Brittany up against the wall with Santana's hands all over her. The light was dim and the smell of musk wafted into Rachel's nose. For a janitor's closet, it was relatively clean. Only a mop, a bucket, a broom and some bottles of cleaning spray took up the small space, leaving plenty of room for clandestine meetings of young couples. A stunned Rachel watched as two Cheerios uniforms melded into one. Their lips permanently attached to each other, she had to wonder how they were even breathing. When Santana's hand made its way up Brittany's thigh, she knew this would probably be the time to look away, but she couldn't. It wasn't until her breath caught in her throat when she realized she may have stayed a bit too long.

The girls were deep into their makeout session until the muffled noise from Rachel's shocked reaction caused Santana to sharply look back at who dared disturb them.

"Excuse me, do you mind?"

Rachel didn't know whether or apologize or just close the door and run. So she stood there, hoping someone else would make the decision for her.

"I…I'm sorry. I just needed to talk to you."

"Berry, I have my hand up Brittany's skirt right now. Do you really think this is a good time for me to talk?"

Rachel stepped back. "No, of course not. You're right. I just…shouldn't you be in class?"

"Study hall. I'm…studying anatomy. Really hot anatomy." Santana went back to kissing Brittany, who noticed that Rachel hadn't left yet. She gestured over to the door.

A frustrated Santana broke away from the kiss once more and whispered, "Give me a sec, Brit."

Rachel backed away and closed the door. She prepared for the worst. She prepared for Snix.

Santana peeked her head out of the closet door. "Listen, Berry. I know you want to live bicuriously through me-"

"...that's not a thing…"

"…but watching me mack on Brit is starting to approach creeper status."

"I'm sorry. This is a bad time. I had no idea you…"

"Hey," Santana opened the door a little wider. "Are you okay?"

Rachel shrugged, a bit relieved at Santana's sincerity. "I don't know."

Santana bit her lip and thought for a minute. "Okay. Give me five minutes. _Ouch!_" She looked back at Brittany. "What?"

Rachel heard Brittany whisper something.

"Okay, okay. Make that ten minutes. Give me ten minutes. We'll talk then."

Rachel shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's fine. I'm sure it'll pass."

Santana didn't really hear the last part of the response. She immediately went right back to attack Brittany's lips. Rachel watched the gap in the door slowly get smaller as it closed. She couldn't help but smile at the irony of those two making out _in _the closet.

She was already late for her history class, but meandered a bit. She wasn't in the mood for a history lesson. Unfortunately, she was about to get one as she came face-to-face with her own dating history. Finn, sporting his football jersey and jeans (a combination she absolutely abhorred) was heading in her direction with Quinn following behind him holding something. Upon further observance, Rachel recognized the red, black and white colors of the Cheerios uniform. Could it be? Quinn Fabray a…Cheerio? The thought sickenend her. It was bad enough she was obviously dating Finn, but now she's a cheerleader?

Maybe Rachel was being too hard on her. Maybe all she was doing was trying to fit in. Rachel had tried that once, herself. It did not end well. Finn was a part of that failed plan and as a result, she now had to awkwardly face him every day.

It was an accident, but Rachel somehow locked eyes with Quinn as the gap between them was closing. It didn't last long, however, because Quinn took this opportunity to loop her arm around Finn's arm. That's when Rachel stopped. She had no other way to get to her history class without walking past them, and she did _not_ want to do that. So she turned around and headed for the exit leading to the parking lot. Her weekend was starting early.

It was the first time she had ever ditched a class.

* * *

Sunday evenings are the worst. Rachel had never really been bothered by them before, but now a certain amount of fear and dread crept into her psyche with each passing hour. The closer it got to being Monday, the more dramatic her iPod play list would get. She was now on the Les Mis soundtrack. Really, there was no getting any more depressing than this. She needed a break and a change of venue, so she pulled her headphones out and abandoned her iPod on the bed. She padded down the stairs and rummaged around the kitchen. Her dads were out for the evening, so she was on her own for dinner, but hunger wasn't an issue for her tonight. She decided that some fresh air was what she needed to clear her head. Maybe a walk would do the trick. The sun hadn't quite gone down yet, so there was still enough daylight for a short walk.

She opened the front door and charged out of the house, nearly knocking Quinn over in her path. She stopped abruptly and took a few dramatic steps back.

"Whoa!"

"Sorry," said Quinn, who managed to keep her balance. "I guess I need to stop sneaking up on you."

"Yeah," was all Rachel could say.

She stood awkwardly in the doorway, her heart pounding. Why was Quinn Fabray at her door?

Quinn was looking at the trimming of the door instead of directly at Rachel. They were both at a loss for words, Rachel unsure of why she was here and Quinn unsure of the very same thing.

The blonde took a couple steps back and looked around. Rachel stubbornly gripped the doorknob and didn't make a move. She waited. There was no way she was going to speak first.

"So…what did you want?" She failed.

Quinn bit her lip, searching for something to say. She was nervous. Rachel could tell.

"You know, I've been out here for twenty minutes," she finally reveals, uneasily. "I went back to my car a few times. Then would walk back up and then walk back to my car again. I think your neighbor thinks I'm crazy. He just kept watching me."

Or maybe he just recognized her, thought Rachel. She loosened her grip on the doorknob. She looked over at Quinn's car: a bright red Mercedes convertible. Of course. Why _wouldn't _she have a perfect car.

Quinn slowly backed up and sat down on the front porch steps. Rachel took a deep breath, closed the door and sat down on the porch railing to Quinn's left. Her knotted stomach was being a bastard. Why couldn't she just relax around this girl?

Rachel took this opportunity to really observe Quinn in a way that didn't seem like leering since the other girl wasn't even looking at her. Her attention was on her hands. She was fidgeting. Her flawless hands were fidgeting. The right one – with the three freckles just under her thumb – was massaging her left one. Rachel was enthralled. She moved from her hands down to her jeans. Her perfectly fitted designer jeans. Rachel immediately felt self-conscious when she looked down at her own jeans – the ones from the local Kohl's. She only dwelled for a moment, then it was back to Quinn. Her blonde, shoulder-length hair had a single strand falling in her eyes. Rachel wondered if it bothered her, but she didn't seem to care or notice it. It was the only flaw Rachel could find on this girl. One single strand. She took notice of Quinn's yellow tank top and wondered if she was cold. There was a chill in the air and goose bumps slowly started to appear up her perfectly defined shoulder and down her arm.

"You cold?"

Quinn shook her head. "I'm okay." She paused for a moment then looked up at Rachel. "I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't run out like that."

Rachel felt the knots loosen in her stomach and adjusted her seat on the railing.

"It's okay. I'm sorry you felt uncomfortable."

"I just…" Quinn trailed off. "It was a hard song for me to sing, you know?"

Rachel didn't know. She really couldn't figure out why the girl was so weirded out. Maybe because it was a love song. She did read that Quinn had recently broken up with one of her many tabloid suitors.

"Well, I hope it didn't discourage you." Rachel didn't want to pry too much. "Do you think you'll come back to glee?"

Quinn chuckled.

"What?" Rachel didn't get the joke.

"Yeah. I'll come back."

"Are you sure you want to? You might damage your reputation as the newest Cheerio." Rachel tried not to sound too condescending.

"My reputation already preceded me long before I even came here."

"Why do you even want to be a cheerleader?"

Quinn looked back down at the ground. "I'm just trying to fit in, Rachel. It's not that easy for me."

For the first time since her first encounter with Quinn Fabray, Rachel finally saw things from her point of view. Maybe it really wasn't that easy for her. She got up off the railing and took a seat on the steps next to Quinn.

"Do you miss LA?"

Quinn nodded. "Yeah. I feel kind of lost here. I mean, things were crazy there. It was long hours and endless premieres and parties and media lines, but I always had someone telling me what to do and where to go. I feel like I've just…stopped. And I'm kind of floating out in the middle of nowhere with no direction. And no friends."

She mumbled that last part, but Rachel picked it up with her keen sense of hearing.

"There are also some people I miss. Some more than others…"

"So why did you come out here?" Rachel's arm was barely brushing up against Quinn's. She remained as still as possible and wondered who would be the first to move.

"My parents. They weren't too happy with the path I was going down. I mean, they loved that I was bringing in money, but I think they didn't like the choices I was making."

"So they just moved you out here?" Rachel watched Quinn, trying to read her face.

"Kind of. We had a long discussion about it. Well, it was really more them telling me that we're moving. They said they didn't want my reputation and my brand tarnished by what was going on." She looked at Rachel. "Can you believe it? My _brand._ Their words."

"Is that why you left the show? What about your commitments?" Rachel couldn't believe Quinn was actually telling her all this.

"Yeah…my parents said that some people on the show were a bad influence on me. Besides, I had two films in the works and my schedule just got crazy. I think I was burned out. I mean…I have to go back. I have to do press and promote my next film. Not sure when that'll be, though. They were talking about pushing it back to make it a summer release."

"And your parents will let you?"

"If they want me to get paid, they have to. It's part of my contract. They know that."

"And that's it? I mean, you'll do press and then are you done?"

Quinn shrugged. "I think my parents will let me go back if I sign on for another film. It's hard to say no to that kind of money." Embarrassed, she put her head in her hands. "Wow. That just sounded really stuck up, didn't it?"

Rachel grinned. "It's okay. I know what you meant. So…you obviously have options. I mean, you've got money saved, right?"

"Yeah. My parents set up a trust fund. I get some of it when I'm eighteen and the rest when I'm twenty-one. The car was kind of their way of saying 'thanks for covering our bills.' I mean, I don't mind it."

"What didn't they like about it? Why did they just uproot you?" With every question Rachel asked, there was a long pause before Quinn's answers. Each second of every pause felt like an eternity. All she could hear was her own erratic breathing and she was almost certain it sounded like an asthmatic wookie. Very sexy.

"They kind of wanted me to take a break. And my mom is from here. My grandparents live here, so they wanted to come back to something familiar, I guess."

"But what were you doing that they didn't like?"

Quinn shook her head. Apparently, she didn't want to get into that side of the story.

Rachel let it go. She was amazed Quinn had even shared this much with her and didn't want to push the issue.

"Well, I wouldn't say you don't have friends here," offered Rachel.

Quinn turned to her. "What would you say?"

"Well, you're with Finn…"

This was the moment Quinn moved her arm. Their arms were no longer touching and Rachel immediately felt colder.

"Am I?"

Her answer sounded curt. Rachel had offended her. Again. In some way.

"Aren't you?"

Another long pause. Rachel wasn't cut out for this kind of stress.

Quinn rubbed her left shoulder to warm it up. "Hard to say. I know he'd like to be with me. He's made it pretty clear."

"And what would you like?"

Rachel could swear this was the pause that was going to actually kill her. Why wasn't she answering?

"It's easy with Finn. He's…simple. It's hard to stir up controversy with someone who's simple. So that's a plus." Quinn rested her hands on the porch and leaned back. "He told me about you two."

Rachel's face went numb. She's pretty sure all the blood drained and if Quinn cast a glance in her direction, she'd see a ghost.

She swallowed hard. "Did he say anything? Like…with what happened between us?" She tried to make the question sound as innocuous as possible.

"No. He didn't really get into it. But apparently you've been a "heinous bitch" to him ever since."

"Sounds about right."

"Did he do something to you?" asked Quinn in an almost protective tone.

"No…no. Not really. It was me. Mostly my fault."

Quinn smiled. Was the relief in her eyes? Relief from what?

"So you're with him because it's easy?" At this point, Rachel's teeth started chattering. Not from the cold, but from pure anxiety. Her teeth-chattering gave way to her absent-mindedly tapping her foot.

"I'm not _with_ him, but…I don't know. A lot of things are expected of me, Rachel."

"Is dating Finn one of them?"

"I'm expected to act and be a certain way. Finn…he fits into that really well. I mean, he's not like any one else I've dated."

"You mean he's not a celebrity?"

That may have come off as a bit too harsh, but Quinn rolled with it.

"Well...yeah. It's hard when you're being scrutinized all the time. If you're not acting in a way they want you to, then there's hell to pay."

"I guess it comes with the territory." It was all Rachel could offer.

"Yeah. I mean, it's more than just 'look over here!' and 'pose like this' and 'wear this brand of eye shadow.' It's…keeping up with what they want you to be."

Rachel nodded. She was starting to grasp a little bit of Quinn's backstory, but she was still an enigma.

"What's it like?"

"What?"

"To be chased down by the paparazzi. To be revered and adored and have people ask for your autograph all the time?"

"To be honest, it was great at first. It was exciting. But then somehow that excitement fades pretty quickly. I love the work I do, but it comes with a price."

"Still…must be nice. Your career is already on a huge forward trajectory while I'm stuck in Lima singing my guts out for an audience of twelve."

"You should give yourself more credit than that." Quinn leaned forward. Her arm was once again grazing Rachel's. She struggled for a moment, as if trying to debate what her next words were going to be. "You know, I only joined glee because found out you were in it."

Quinn scooted herself just a little bit closer.

If there was any blood left coursing through Rachel's body at that moment, it had stopped. Everything stopped. She could have sworn even the ambiance noise – the crickets, the passing cars in the distance, the rustling leaves – it had all stopped at that exact moment. Quinn Fabray joined glee because of her? Surely she heard that wrong.

"Me?"

"Yeah." Quinn playfully nudged her. "Ever since you burst through the bathroom door that day. I wondered who this girl was. I was curious about you. You seemed…interesting."

More silence with the exception of breathing. But this time, it was Quinn's breathing – heavy and mostly through her nose. Rachel watched her chest rise and fall as she searched for a response. Any response. Anything at all. It had been about a minute by this point and Rachel couldn't stop staring at Quinn. Not even to muster up a word. Say something, Berry. Anything. Just say something!

"I'm just a girl from Ohio." Her voice cracked. Wow, that sounded really corny. "I mean, yeah I have big dreams, but nothing's happened to me yet that would make me remotely interesting."

Quinn smirked, most likely because Rachel finally responded and the silence of death was over.

"I've heard you sing. I'm pretty a voice like that constitutes as something interesting. I've never seen or heard talent like that anywhere. And I've been a lot of places. Different cities, different countries…"

"But no one knows who I am. And you're…"

"…famous?" Quinn locked eyes with Rachel. "Is that all you see me as?"

She didn't know what to say, but in that moment, something had shifted. Rachel could feel it. It was something in the way Quinn looked at her. Something was happening, but Rachel couldn't tell what it was just yet. Then, she felt something. She looked down to see Quinn's hand resting on her thigh. She looked back up to meet Quinn's eyes once more. They had never left her. The chill in the air had suddenly disappeared. Her skin was cold, but she felt warm on the inside. She didn't think it was possible to be so cold, yet so warm at the same time. She also didn't think it was possible that Quinn Fabray would even show her the slightest bit of interest, but she was wrong. She was very wrong. Because not only was Quinn Fabray touching her thigh, warming her entire body from head to toe, she was also dangerously close to Rachel. And the gap was slowly closing.

What was happening? Rachel could feel her body trembling uncontrollably, no matter how hard she tried to keep it in check. Quinn's eyes were still locked on hers. Not another word was exchanged. It didn't have to be. Rachel knew was what about to happen, though she didn't know why. She broke the stare and looked down to study Quinn's lips, but her time for studying was up. It was the moment of impact. And it was unlike anything Rachel had ever experienced. Quinn's lips were soft and warm and so inviting. She closed her eyes and took it all in. Quinn gently pulled away, but the friction was all too much for Rachel. She wasn't ready to let go, so she leaned forward and took another pass, this time her lips gently grabbing on to Quinn's upper lip. She couldn't remember the last time something felt so weirdly right. This shouldn't be happening. None of this should be happening. But Quinn's guttural moan was proof that it was actually happening. Something in that moan touched Rachel. It felt like she had been drop kicked in the stomach, but in a good way. She was kissing Quinn Fabray and Quinn Fabray was _liking_ it. Rachel leaned into the kiss, softly grazing her tongue along Quinn's. Another moan escaped from the blonde's mouth. This sent Rachel into a tailspin. She reached her hand up to touch Quinn's face.

It was that moment of contact when Quinn pulled away from the kiss. She sat for a moment, contemplating what had just happened. Then she looked at Rachel one last time.

"Please don't say anything."

Before Rachel could respond, Quinn was already sprinting to her car. With one turn of her key, the engine was on and she peeled away.


	4. I Want to See You Be Brave

**Author's Note: I know my chapters aren't very long, but that's because I'd like to try and update at least once or twice a week. If you'd like longer chapters, let me know. I won't be able to post as frequently, but they'd be longer.**

**Also, I use a song in this chapter that was released this year. I know that in "Glee" world, the timeline wouldn't match up, but I'll be taking liberties in this story with song releases and years. Let's just say it takes place "present day." So…just go with it. **

* * *

Rachel spent Sunday night in bed staring at her ceiling and slowly watching it become light outside. It was Monday morning and the dread had started to kick in. She was on her feet ten minutes before her alarm went off. Her brain was a jumbled mess and if she hadn't had the same exact morning routine day in and day out for the last three years, she'd probably be wearing her sock as a scarf and her underwear as a headband. Thankfully, her brain was on autopilot.

Halfway through the two hundred strokes it took to brush her teeth, she stopped. The reflection in the mirror was suddenly fascinating. She watched herself closely, toothbrush hanging out of her mouth, as she moved her face from one side to the other. Without finishing the other hundred strokes, she rinsed her mouth out and wiped her mouth with her hand, slowly lingering on lips as she did so.

When she walked over to the chair next to her bed, she stopped. Confused, she looked around the room. Normally, she took the time to carefully lay out the clothes she would wear the next morning, but last night, she had forgotten to do so. Panicking, she ran to her closet. How on earth could she possibly decide what to wear in such a short amount of time? Breakfast was in exactly seventeen minutes. Flustered, she grabbed the first skirt she could find – a purple mini – and figured the black button down blouse toward the left end of the closet would suffice. Now where were those black tights? They weren't in the middle drawer of her dresser where they normally are. She couldn't possibly go without tights in this skirt, could she? She looked at the clock. Eight minutes until breakfast. Her whole morning would be completely thrown off if she took the time to look for the tights, so she moved on to her hair.

With thirty seconds to spare, she was at the kitchen table just as her dad put a bowl of steaming oatmeal and half a grapefruit in front of her.

"Enjoy, sweetie. I gotta run. Need to get an early start today." He placed a kiss on her forehead and was out the door. She hadn't heard a word he said.

Rachel pushed her oatmeal around for a few minutes, waiting for it to cool. After three spoonfuls and a few bites of grapefruit, her stomach told her that she was crazy if she was going to attempt to put anything more in it. Butterflies were taking up too much room in there.

By the time she got to school, her head was wrecked. Too many questions had been plaguing her. No matter how many times she replayed that kiss in her head, it always left her with the same questions. Why did it happen? Why was she obsessing over it? Was Quinn thinking about it? Was it planned? What does it mean? Is Quinn gay? Is that what she was trying to tell her? Why did it excite Rachel so much? That last question was the scariest of all of them and the one she tried to think about the least. There really was no reason why her body should have reacted that way, was there?

Once again, Rachel found herself at school anxiously waiting to see if she and Quinn could cross paths again. Sure enough, as she was passing the water fountain in the south corridor, Quinn was walking her way. Rachel took comfort in the fact that she was alone this time. Finn was nowhere to be found. As she got closer, she straightened up and pulled her chin up to at least appear somewhat confident. Her insides were screaming with uncertainty, but at least she _looked_ fearless. The second her eyes met Quinn's, she flashed a genuinely friendly smile, being very careful not to show her teeth. Santana had once told her that when she smiled with all her teeth, it looked like she was going to swallow someone's head whole. Instead of smiling back, Quinn showed no change in emotion. At least not in her face. She simply looked away from Rachel and kept her eyes forward as she walked right past her with no acknowledgment that she was even there. Rachel stopped and closed her eyes for a moment. It hurt to look at anything that wasn't Quinn. She turned around and watched the blonde walk away without any sign of giving Rachel a second look.

Yup. It was going to be one of those days.

By the time glee club rolled around, Rachel was pacing outside the door. She had no idea if Quinn would even show up. That would require actually talking to Rachel and she obviously didn't have much interest in that. Trying not to make her pacing too obvious, she pretended to read a couple flyers that were hung up on the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell that Finn was heading this way. It was kind of hard to miss his lanky walk and the goofy look on his face. She looked over in his direction and sure enough, there was Quinn. Her hand was attached to his. The sight made Rachel shudder. This was going to be difficult, but it had to be done.

As the pair walked past Rachel into the choir room, she reached out and lightly grabbed Quinn's arm.

"Hey Quinn, can I talk to you for a second?"

By this point, Finn's hand became detached from Quinn's and he kept walking, stopping only to see why she had stopped until he saw Rachel. That was his cue to keep going. Rachel had Quinn somewhat cornered, leaning her hand against the door and blocking the entrance. However, the other girl seemed very reluctant to talk.

"What?" she replied curtly.

Rachel hadn't really practiced what she was going to say.

"Um…" She looked down, suddenly remembering who she was speaking to. She looked up to try to find Quinn's eyes. The blonde towered over her in her gun metal gray heels.

"I don't really have time for this, Rachel." She tried to move past the shorter girl, but was blocked once again.

"I just wanted to let you know that…it's okay. I'm not going to tell anyone. And if you want to talk, I'm here."

Quinn still wouldn't look at her.

"Are we done?"

Rachel had to use every ounce of strength she had to not touch Quinn's hand at this moment.

"I just want to make sure you know that you don't have to be afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Quinn didn't even let Rachel answer. She pushed past her and took a seat next to Finn.

That did not go the way Rachel had hoped. Embarrassed, confused and dejected, she took her seat and did her best not to cast the slightest glance over to her left. She didn't want Quinn to see the mortified look on her face. Apparently McKinley's most famous student really was a phenomenal actress. She almost had Rachel convinced that last night was nothing more than a meaningless fluke. Almost.

Something had to be done. She had to get through to Quinn somehow. She had to somehow let her know that she could be trusted and no matter the outcome, everything would be okay. The second Mr. Schuester stepped into the room, Rachel jumped up.

"Mr. Schue, I'd like to sing first if that's okay."

Mr. Schuester looked rather dumbfounded. "Wow, Rachel. I haven't seen that kind of enthusiasm from you in a while. I'd love to hear what you've got."

Rachel marched over and took her place in front of the glee club. Standing there with every ounce of conviction she could muster, she took a deep breath and prepared for the performance of a lifetime.

"This is a song I heard recently. I wanted to see if it sounds as good in here as it does when I sing it in the shower," she revealed coyly. "And maybe it'll inspire some of you."

Sure, it was transparent, but she didn't care. She was going to make Quinn Fabray listen to her even if it had to be through song. The music started and Rachel swayed along with the beat. As terrified as she was to do so, her eyes shifted over to Quinn, willing her to look back at her.

**_"You can be amazing  
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug  
You can be the outcast  
Or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love  
Or you can start speaking up  
Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do  
And they settle beneath your skin  
Kept on the inside and no sunlight  
Sometimes a shadow wins  
But I wonder what would happen if you_**

Say what you wanna say  
And let the words fall out  
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say  
And let the words fall out  
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you  
I just wanna see you  
I just wanna see you  
I wanna see you be brave…"

Rachel kept her attention on the tall blonde in the second row. She could see the wheels turning in Quinn's head when she slowly realized the song was obviously about her. Rachel could pinpoint the exact moment of realization. Quinn nervously looked around the room and when she had run out of every other thing to look at, she finally locked eyes on the girl that was singing in front of her. Well, singing _to_ her. Her face was completely unreadable, but Rachel couldn't worry about that at the moment. Perhaps she was coming on too strong, but she wanted to send a message. A message saying that everything would be okay. That she could trust her.

**_"Everybody's been there, everybody's been stared down  
By the enemy  
Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing  
Bow down to the mighty  
Don't run, stop holding your tongue  
Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live  
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in  
Show me how big your brave is_**

Say what you wanna say  
And let the words fall out  
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say  
And let the words fall out  
Honestly I wanna see you be brave…"

Rachel felt everyone watching her, but there was only one reaction she cared about. And just in case that one person wasn't aware the song was about her, Rachel took a step closer to the slowly unraveling girl in front of her. She sang loud and hard and put her whole body into it to try to get Quinn to hear what she had to say. Her eyes were cold, yet so strangely hypnotic. Rachel couldn't look away. Not now. **__**

"Innocence, your history of silence  
Won't do you any good  
Did you think it would?  
Let your words be anything but empty  
Why don't you tell them the truth?

Say what you wanna say  
And let the words fall out  
Honestly I wanna see you be brave…"

Once again, Quinn broke eye contact and Rachel died just a little bit inside. Every instinct in her wanted to pull Quinn up in front of everyone in hopes that she would sing along with her. But since she refused to look her yet again, she ran and pulled Brittany up with her. Brittany started harmonizing and dancing along with Rachel. Even though her new singing partner was beautifully helping her vocalize the song and having a great time dancing around, Rachel couldn't help but watch Quinn out of the corner of her eye, looking for any sign of movement from her.**__**

"With what you want to say  
And let the words fall out  
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you  
I just wanna see you  
I just wanna see you  
I wanna see you be brave.

I just wanna see you  
I just wanna see you  
I just wanna see you."

The song was over. The thunderous applause and cheers died down and Rachel took her seat while Brittany returned to her spot next to Santana. Meanwhile, Quinn didn't make a move. She applauded along with the rest, but there was nothing in her eyes saying that she remotely enjoyed the performance. Somehow, Rachel had a feeling she was about to experience the wrath of Quinn.

* * *

Once glee club was over, Rachel got up and walked out without stopping to talk to anybody. The more time that passed, the more she realized that maybe singing that song wasn't the wisest decision. But she wanted to give Quinn a chance to respond, so once she was out in the hall, she walked a little slower, hoping Quinn would catch up to her.

She did.

There was a sharp pain in Rachel's right arm as Quinn's hand clamped tightly around it and pulled her into the nearest classroom. The pain subsided when Quinn let go and angrily closed the door behind them. They were in the art room. It was dimly lit and smelled of fresh paint.

Quinn turned to face her, incensed. "What the _hell_ was that?"

Rachel's muscles tightened. She was backed against the wall with a very intimidating Quinn hovered over her. And this girl was out for blood.

"I…"

Quinn irately tightened her fists and moved in even closer to Rachel. She was seething.

"Do you have any idea how humiliating that was?"

Rachel looked anywhere but at Quinn. It was just too scary to see the pained expression on her face, knowing full well she's the one that caused it. Instead, she chose to focus on the girl's shoulder. It was shaking with rage and panic.

"I was just trying to help you."

"By singing me a fucking song?"

"No one knows it was directed at you."

"You were staring right at me the whole time, Rachel!"

Rachel had never seen this side of Quinn before. Granted, she'd only known her a couple weeks, but she had only ever experienced a more calm and collected version of her. This was almost…scary. Which led Rachel to believe that she had, in fact, crossed a dangerous line.

"We were always taught to pick a focal point for each performance. I guarantee you no one even noticed." She watched as Quinn's shoulder shook more violently than before. She wanted to reach out. She wanted to offer some kind of soothing gesture to help calm her down. Knowing that would probably make things worse, she kept her hands at her side and leaned further back into the wall.

Quinn backed up, her white knuckles becoming pink as she unclenched her fists.

"You can't just do that," she huffed. "You can't just decide you need to help me and put on the spot like that in front of everybody. That is not okay."

She turned, her back facing Rachel. Her shoulders were still shuddering and Rachel could sense that she was trying to compose herself. Coming forward just an inch off the wall, she regarded the girl in front of her. She looked fragile, like even the slightest breeze could knock her over. Rachel wanted to offer something. Anything.

"Look, what happened yesterday—"

"Nothing happened!" Quinn turned around and charged back at Rachel. "How many times to I have to get it through to you? Nothing happened." Her eyes said it all. They were trying to convince Rachel, trying to make her see that her statement needed to be true.

Rachel searched those eyes for any sign of taking those words back. It was useless, so she conceded.

"Okay. Nothing happened," Rachel nodded. "Must have been a dream, or something."

Quinn's entire body loosened up, relieved to hear Rachel's words.

"Okay."

The blonde didn't move. She kept still, lingering in front of Rachel. Only a few inches of space came between them. Rachel wanted to scream. She wanted her voice to fill up the empty art room with the words 'It did happen.' She just wanted Quinn to at least admit it, but the last thing she wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable. She was torn.

Fuck it.

"A really amazing dream."

It was a quiet remark. Barely above a whisper, but she knew that Quinn heard it. How could she not? They were only mere inches away from each other.

The blonde didn't move. She kept still, lingering in front of Rachel. Only a few inches of space came between them. Rachel studied the lines and curves of her neck, following it down to where it meets her shoulders. The skin was exposed, like it was just begging to be touched or perhaps even something more. The stillness settled between them. Rachel tried to slow her breath and her heartbeat at the same time. She didn't want to give herself away. Obviously something was happening to her. Her body was trembling. Her insides aching. This was something completely new. She had never felt this way before. Never had another human being been able to elicit such a visceral reaction from her. Not even the star quarterback of the high school football team.

After that statement, there really was no going back, so Rachel made a bold move. She gradually moved her hand and brushed the top of Quinn's hand with her index finger. The taller girl flinched and pulled her hand away, but leaned forward in the process.

"You really don't learn, do you?" she asked.

"Maybe you could teach me something," murmured Rachel. What the hell was that? Why did she say that? Was she flirting with Quinn? After everything Quinn had just said to her. Why was she being so stupid and stubborn when Quinn obviously wants no part of it?

Quinn leaned against the wall closer to Rachel and looked her up and down.

She leaned in and whispered, "What do you want, Rachel?"

Rachel could feel the other girl's breath hot on her neck. She didn't hear the question. She had forgotten what words even are. All she could do was stand there and wait and hope that her brain would find a way to work again. She swallowed thickly as Quinn leaned over to her other ear.

"You want me to kiss you again, don't you?" Quinn huskily whispered.

Rachel wanted to say, 'I thought it never happened,' but the words refused to escape her mouth. All she could do was nod.

Quinn's hand slowly made its way down from the wall to Rachel's waist. Her hand gripped Rachel's left side, just above her hip. Thank God, too, because the brunette felt as though she were going to fall over at any second. The extra support might just prevent an embarrassing fall. She's pretty sure her legs were nonexistent at the moment. Solid ground wasn't a thing at this moment in this art room with this girl holding her waist.

Quinn breathed through her nose as she leaned down and brought her lips closer to Rachel's. Rachel obliged when Quinn used her other hand to tilt her head up. She could feel Quinn's mouth barely grazing her lips.

Oh. God.

Rachel's entire core was on fire, anxiously awaiting what was about to happen. She closed her eyes and braced herself as Quinn spoke.

"It was a moment of weakness, Rachel. I was confused. You need to get over it. It never happened."

Suddenly, the presence Rachel had felt before her was gone. Quinn let go of her waist, pulled back and walked out the door, leaving Rachel a complete mess. She stood there against the wall, quivering. She felt naked. Alone. Humiliated. Either Quinn was right and it really was nothing, or she really was a hell of an actress.

* * *

**The song featured in this chapter is "Brave" by Sara Bareilles


	5. Your Hands Can Heal, Ur Hands Can Bruise

**Author's Note: **FYI, I'll be throwing in a few chapters here and there of Quinn's POV (like this one). I think certain things will be important to experience through her eyes

* * *

Of the many things that Quinn missed about Los Angeles, chauffeured rides were one of them. Not that she didn't like driving, but taking cover in the back of a tinted SUV had its perks. She didn't have to worry about driving in the LA traffic, getting a ticket, or the mundane task of filling up for gas. Lima, Ohio was very different. There was no traffic and the town was much smaller, but everything was spread so far apart, it took just as much time to get somewhere and it took up a lot of gas to get there. She hated filling up. It was such a tedious task, but here she was at the gas station at the corner of Harding and Willard. She barely made it – her gas light had been on for two days. She got out of the car and walked into the mini-mart as she moved her sunglasses from her face to rest on top of her head.

She walked over to the cold drinks and grabbed a Diet Dr. Pepper, then grabbed a pack of gum before heading over to the counter. She put the items on the counter along with a $100 bill.

"Sixty on number three please."

The young man behind the counter took the hundred, examined it and rang up the soda and gum without really taking his eyes off of her. Quinn could sense she was being watched, so she fiddled with the dollar pens on display next to her.

"You're that girl," said the man behind the counter.

"I'm sorry?" Oh lord, here we go.

"You're that girl. That actress." He leaned forward to the other side of the counter and grabbed a magazine from the rack. He pointed at the photo on the cover or InTouch Weekly. "This is you."

Quinn read the headline: **Quinn Fabray In Hiding? Details Inside!**

She stepped back, smiled as sweetly as she could and shrugged.

"Can you sign this for me?" he grabbed one of the dollar pens and handed it to her.

Quinn's natural instinct was to grab the pen and sign it, but before the pen touched the magazine cover, she thought for a second. Did she really want to put her signature on that? Yet another tabloid headline that suggested she was up to something unsavory? She dropped the pen and pushed the magazine aside.

"Um…I'd really just like to get my gas. I'm going to be late."

The man scoffed and gave her the changed.

"Bitch," he muttered as she walked out.

Quinn heard it, just like she heard many other things people would say about her under their breath. But she chose to ignore it. No sense in drawing more attention to herself. She filled up her tank and sped off, trying to get to school on time.

Her drive to school is her favorite time of day. She hated where it was taking her, but loved the drive. She had the top down, even though it was getting colder. She had the wind in her hair and the radio up. It was freeing. No one expected anything of her while she was driving, except perhaps a signal when she turned and stopping at a stop sign. This drive was the distance between her domineering parents and the constantly staring students who go out of their way not to speak to her.

As she reached a red light, her phone beeped. It was a text message from Finn. She hit ignore. Whatever he had to say, she wasn't interested at the moment. A few minutes later, there was another beep. This time, it was her publicist's number. She picked it up and read the text.

"_Don't sweat the InTouch cover, hon. I'm taking care of it. Come back to us soon. XOXO."_

She learned early how important it was to not read bad press about yourself. It'll mess with your head, but it was easier said than done. She tried to ignore it, but with every false story about her, she wanted to release a statement. Her publicist always advised her not to, because it would just fuel the fire. Once it started taking its toll, she decided to just let it go. People are going to say what they're going to say. She had even been linked to a slew of eligible Hollywood actors – half of which she had never even met and most of them were much older than her. At 17, she couldn't understand why people would think she'd date a 30-year-old. But, like her team of managers, agents and publicists always said: be worried when they're NOT talking about you.

She threw the phone on the passenger seat and pulled into the closest spot she could find in the school parking lot. Once at school, she made her way down the corridor. While others maneuvered their way through the crowd, Quinn seemed to have a path laid out in front of her as other students scurried to get out of the way. Like clockwork, she started getting several stares and quick glances from students walking her way or students hanging out at their lockers. It was nothing new. It just came with the territory, but it made it rather difficult for her to fit in. The whispers, the pointing, the sideways looks. It seemed none of them wanted to get to know her. They already had her pegged as some stuck up celebrity.

She's learned how to react to the stares, though. She's used to it. She learned when and how to smile - whether you show your teeth or give a simple grin - when to wave, when to dodge questions. She was a professional. So why was being surrounded by a bunch of ogling teenagers so fear-inducing? The paparazzi hid behind their cameras and flashes, but these students don't hide behind anything. They use their eyes, they look her up and down, they judge her every move. They strip her down and make her feel completely exposed.

That's why it's such a rare thing for Quinn to have her guard down.

The first two classes of the day were canceled due to the school assembly. The students started scampering off toward the gym. Quinn was one of the last to trickle in. She found a seat on the bleachers towards the middle and looked around for anyone she recognized. She needed a friendly face. Then, the brunette four rows ahead and ten people to the left looked over her shoulder. Quinn's heart jolted as their eyes met. It was brief, but enough to make Rachel look away immediately. Quinn lowered her head. Why? Why did Rachel Berry have to be in her eye line? The last thing she needed right now was a reminder of the other night.

The lights dimmed, the music started and a group of Cheerios ran out onto the court, performing death-defying flips and tumbles. The crowd cheered and the music grew louder. Quinn spotted Finn at the back of room with the rest of the football team. He caught her eye and waved. She gave a slight head nod in return. Once the fog machines started, Quinn began to feel dizzy. She noticed Finn walking in her direction.

"Hey!"

Quinn smiled. "Hi."

"Scoot over."

"Shouldn't you be with the team?" she tried to raise her voice above the music.

"I'd rather be here with you."

Quinn looked over at Rachel one more time. The brunette chose this exact moment to look back at her. And there goes her stomach.

She moved over and let Finn sit down next to her. Something felt off. The music, the screaming, the fog…it was all too overwhelming. She massaged her temples with her fingers and before Finn could say another word, she was up.

"I…I'll be right back." She walked down the bleachers two steps at a time – an impressive feat in heels - and ran out of the gym.

Once she was out the door and outside in the sun, she felt much better. She needed some peace and quiet. The dizziness stopped as she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

"Are you lost? I get lost here sometimes."

Quinn opened her eyes to find a wide-eyed Brittany approaching her.

"Not physically, no. Shouldn't you be performing?"

Brittany shrugged. "I went to the bathroom and forgot which bathroom I was in. So I couldn't remember how to get back." She planted one foot on the ground and raised her other leg as if she were preparing to do a pirouette. "Does that ever happen to you?"

Quinn shook her head. "No, not really." It seemed as though she and Brittany didn't have much in common, but she was thankful for someone to talk to.

Brittany was quiet for a moment as if searching for something to say. "Wanna see my routine?"

Quinn laughed. "Your cheer routine?"

"Yeah. I think I missed it in there. Someone should at least be able to see me do it."

"Sure."

Brittany proceeded to perform the entire Cheerio routine, complete with impressive dance moves, jumps and flips. Quinn found herself wondering if she could ever be that limber. Once the show was finished, Brittany took a bow and Quinn clapped.

"Very impressive."

"Thanks! Weren't you thinking about joining?"

"Thinking about it. I'm really not sure."

Brittany nodded and looked around to find the door on their right. "Well, I should probably go. Coach Sylvester will be mad if I'm not there for her to yell at me. See ya." She took a few steps and turned around. "By the way, I'm really glad you thwarted Logan's plan to seduce your sister."

"I'm sorry?"

"You know…on the show. When Jessica showed up in time to save her sister from getting her heart broken. I was relieved."

Quinn chuckled. "Yeah…me too."

* * *

Coming home to her parents after a long day at school was proving to be a chore. She wasn't used to it. She would spend hours upon hours on set all day back in LA, blatantly disregarding the child labor laws. Her parents would be asleep by the time she got home and wouldn't really question where she had been. Now, she couldn't go two steps without being bombarded.

"How was school, Quinnie?"

Quinn stopped in her tracks. She found it comical that her parents suddenly started taking an interest in her personal life after years of not seeming to care.

"Fine."

She was still angry at her parents for moving her two thousand miles away and setting her down in the middle of nowhere to find her way. The longest conversation they've had in months was when they informed her of their decision to move. That was followed by a long and loud argument, slamming doors, the silent treatment, and now Quinn is only offering them one or two-word answers.

"Have you made any friends?"

She thought for a minute. Brittany seemed nice enough, but she's only ever had one conversation with her. And it wasn't exactly spellbinding. Then her thoughts landed on Rachel, as they always seemed to do lately. But she pushed those thoughts away as quickly as they came.

"Not really."

"Any cute boys?"

Her mom was relentless. Quinn closed her eyes and tried to compose herself.

"I'll be upstairs."

Quinn stormed upstairs and closed the room to her door. She hadn't exactly fully moved in yet. Boxes were strewn everywhere and she still lived out of her suitcase. She figured if she unpacked completely, then it was real. She was really a resident of Ohio and her LA life was officially over. Not that her celebrity life was all that perfect. There were pros and cons. She loved being an actress, but it came with a price. If she gained weight, she was automatically pregnant. If her eyes are closed in a photo, she's automatically drunk. If her parents suddenly force her to move to the Midwest, she's hiding something. Well, perhaps that last part wasn't all that incorrect, but still. They were preconceived notions of someone they know nothing about. In interviews, Quinn would only give away what she needed to. She was taught to always leave them wanting more. She did miss her privacy, though. Every flash of the photographer's camera peeled away another layer of privacy. She could feel each flash shine right through her skin, revealing parts of her she didn't want anyone to see.

She moved a few boxes aside, kicked off her shoes and lay down in her bed. She turned on the TV and flipped through the channels until she found something that would lighten her mood. She stopped at an episode of _I Love Lucy_ and rested her head on the pillow. The show soon faded to background noise as Quinn fell into a much-needed slumber.

* * *

Quinn was starting to get a routine down. It wasn't a routine she wanted, but she was stuck with it at least until she turned eighteen. She was starting to get used to school being a breeding ground for rumors and stares. It was no different than Hollywood, really. No one even tried to make it subtle. The only place she seemed to find any reprieve from it all was in glee club. Sure, a few of the glee members did whisper and she'd catch a few of them looking at her occasionally, but it still felt safe. Safer than any other place in the school, at least. She still hadn't warmed up to anyone quite yet. Finn was the only one overly eager to get to know her, but even then, there was something off-putting about the way he went about it. Plus, he wasn't exactly the most fascinating person on the planet. But he tried. She had to give him credit. Hanging out with him was never spectacular, but it sure beat feeling so alone.

Rachel seemed to be the only person who was halfway interesting. There was something about her the Quinn found captivating, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. It was more than that puppy dog look on her face Rachel constantly had whenever she was within twenty feet of her. There was something so intriguing, yet so unnerving about Rachel. Quinn wasn't sure whether she wanted to know everything about her or just slap her for being so unnerving. She tried opening up to Rachel, but that turned into a disaster. She really had no idea why she even kissed her. Where was her head at? What was she thinking? And why was she so mean to her about it afterwards? Quinn had never really been one to hold herself accountable for her actions. Poor Rachel found that out the hard way.

All Quinn knew was that she wanted to let her in somehow, but wanted to protect her at the same time. There was a lot of bullshit in Quinn's world and she didn't want to bring someone as innocent as Rachel Berry into it. Besides, they barely knew each other. It was just in that one instant, Quinn felt safe…which ultimately led to confusion on her part.

She decided to try to make nice, even though every instinct inside of her wanted to run in the opposite direction. She had casually managed to get Finn to mention what car Rachel drove and the next day at school, waited for her in the parking lot after school. Glee club hadn't gotten out yet and the lot was nearly empty. Quinn thought about going, but she just wasn't feeling it today. Perhaps because she wanted to make things right with Rachel first. She leaned against the car and watched as a short brunette came walking towards her.

Quinn straightened up and took a deep breath.

"Hey."

Rachel opened her car door and threw her backpack into the back seat.

"Hi."

Quinn couldn't get a read on her voice from just that one syllable.

"How was glee?"

Rachel stood with the car door open.

"Fine."

"I wanted to go but..." Quinn couldn't think of a reason.

"You didn't miss much."

She was being careful, tentative. Quinn knew that. And really, she couldn't blame her. Not after the way she acted. It was time to bite the bullet. Time to own up. She took a few steps closer to Rachel, suddenly wishing she hadn't worn heels today. It was like she was about to placate a child.

"Look, I wanted to apologize. My behavior was…inexcusable."

Rachel looked down at her keys. "Which time? When you kissed me and ran away or when you tried to convince me you _didn't_ kiss me…and then ran away?"

Quinn sighed. "Both. I don't know what happened. Things got…weird."

Rachel nodded. "Well…apology accepted. I'll see you later."

"Wait." Quinn grabbed Rachel's wrist before she got into the car. "Can we talk for a second?" She looked around. "In private?"

Rachel hesitated.

"Just for a minute," said Quinn.

Rachel unlocked the passenger door. "Get in."

Why was she nervous? There really was no reason. This was just a girl. Some girl from Ohio who, just a few weeks ago, was not even a blip on her radar. And now she's in the passenger seat of the girl's car, nervously tracing her finger along the dashboard.

"Nice car," offered Quinn.

"Right. Compared to yours."

Rachel was giving her nothing.

Both girls were looking straight forward, the windshield offering a much more interesting view than anything else. Rachel put her key in the ignition and left it hanging there without turning it. Quinn hadn't really prepared what to say. She was beginning to regret not thinking this through. Was there really nothing else to talk about? No little subject of small talk to exchange?

"I'm sorry. I just didn't know how to act around you." Quinn turned to see Rachel's profile. She waited for a response, but didn't get one. Rachel certainly wasn't making this easy on her. "I really enjoyed talking to you."

"Yeah, me too," replied Rachel, still staring straight ahead.

"You've been really nice to me. And I could definitely use a friend."

Rachel leaned her head back into the seat, but said nothing.

"So…what do you think? Can we be friends?" Quinn braced herself for the longest silence ever. Why was she so on edge about Rachel's response? She really had no idea.

The brunette responded by shaking her head. "I don't know."

Quinn swallowed hard. That was not the response she expected. "You don't know?"

She could feel her face getting hot. Very slowly, with every passing second of Rachel's silence, Quinn could feel her wall gradually build back up. Brick by brick, Rachel's indifference was cementing it.

"I don't know."

Rachel was being cautious. Overly cautious. And it was starting to piss Quinn off. Here she was, offering civility between them, trying to start over and she was being rebuffed. That's twice Rachel managed to make Quinn drop her guard. Well, never again. Quinn Fabray would not stand for that. She could feel her embarrassment quickly turning to anger.

"Fine." Quinn folded her arms and faced away from Rachel, like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum. "You don't want to be friends, then we won't be friends."

"I didn't say that," countered Rachel.

"You didn't have to!" She was yelling now. It was getting increasingly difficult controlling the tone of her voice.

"You're just…you're very intimidating, okay?" Rachel finally looked in Quinn's direction.

By this point, Quinn was livid. "Intimidating? It's my fame that's intimidating, not me. You know what? Forget it." Rachel's statement hurt her more than she liked. What else could she do but hurt Rachel just the same? The words escaped her lips before she had a chance to think it through. "By the way, Finn told me what happened between you two."

Rachel's head snapped in her direction. "What?"

There was a tinge of pain in her voice. Not only was the knife deep into Rachel's gut, Quinn was going to do her best to twist it, just to get a little extra pain out of her.

"Yeah. He told me that you two dated and you couldn't seal the deal with him. You freaked out and had a panic attack when you were in bed and couldn't even have sex with him. So you ran away. That might just be the saddest story I've ever heard."

Rachel's hands gripped the steering wheel. Her knuckles were turning whiter with each word that escaped Quinn's mouth.

Quinn didn't even know why she was even saying these things. She couldn't seem to stop herself. Sure, she had a cruel streak. It was a result of having to build thick skin from critics and naysayers, but this…this may have been the cruelest she's ever been. But she couldn't stop. It was almost like it was happening in slow motion. Inside, she was screaming "stop!" but her mouth wasn't listening.

"What's it like to be the school prude? It can't be that much fun, I'd imagine." Shut up, Quinn. Just shut up. What are you saying? Look at her. She's practically shaking.

"Get out." Rachel's words were barely audible, but Quinn could hear them.

Immediately, the blonde felt immense guilt creeping up inside her. It was starting to dawn on her that maybe she pushed to far. The look on Rachel's face was like a punch to the gut. Her toxic tongue always seemed to get her into trouble. Her insides felt queasy. Did Rachel really deserve this? Simply because she wasn't sure if she wanted to be friends with the girl who messed with her head?

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I don't know why I-"

"Get out," said Rachel, a little louder.

Quinn turned to face the other girl. Rachel's shoulders were tense. Her head bowed forward and her breathing became more audible. She looked broken, completely wrecked. It was a difficult scene for Quinn to look at. She reached out her hand and touched Rachel's arm, trying her best to squeeze out the venom of her words. Quinn's impulsiveness had always been her downfall.

"I'm so sorry. I take it back, okay? I sometimes say stupid things I don't mean."

Rachel hit her steering wheel with such force, Quinn could swear the airbag was going to deploy.

"I said GET OUT!"

Rachel's pitch was a blood-curdling scream. It terrified Quinn. She didn't know what scared her more: Rachel's scream or the fact that she's the one who elicited that scream from her. Either way, she was too terrified to find out the answer and exited the car with her ears still ringing. Now it was _her_ turn to watch Rachel peel away. Quinn put her head in her hands and started walking back to her car. That did not go according to plan.


	6. As It Is, I'll Dream of Her Tonight

**Author's note: Just FYI, this chapter starts to get a little bit racy. But this story is rated M, so you've been warned. **

* * *

Rachel's disastrous encounter with Quinn was enough to render her useless for the next few days. She would come home, try to eat whatever nutritious meal her dads would prepare, and then retire to her room for the night. She attempted to avoid Quinn at all costs. Glee club was becoming increasingly difficult since they were confined in the same room for an hour, but Rachel sat up straight and kept her eyes forward. She paid no mind to the blonde with the acid tongue who so indiscreetly latched on to Finn's arm whenever Rachel was in their presence.

By the weekend, she was thankful for a two-day break from the madness. She spent most of it in her room – half the time singing along with her Broadway collection and half the time reflecting on her most recent confrontation with Quinn. She couldn't remember a time when she had been so embarrassed and so hurt, but she also couldn't figure out how a girl she had known less than a month could manage to make her feel so fractured and confounded. The more Rachel thought about Quinn's spiteful words, the heavier her heart felt. By the end of the weekend, it felt as though her heart was actually starting to calcify. She's had two very deep conversations with Quinn and two very disturbing ones. She hated that the actress knew about what happened with Finn. Knowing how callous Quinn had been lately, Rachel wouldn't be surprised if it was all over school by tomorrow.

Rachel Berry: the prude. The geeky show choir girl with Broadway dreams had managed to land the high school quarterback, much to everyone's surprise. And what happened? She freaked out at the very thought of having sex with him. It seemed so natural before. The next step would be sex, right? They dated for six months, held hands, kissed and defied everyone's expectations. No one could believe he was dating her. She should consider herself to be lucky, shouldn't she? She had planned it out and prepared herself. She knew what he wanted and she knew it would be the only way to keep him interested in her. So she invited herself over to his place, wore the sexiest underwear she owned, and made it known to him that she was ready. Because in her head, she was. The whole time they were dating, she felt nothing. Why did she have such a huge crush on him if all she felt was nothing when they were together? Maybe sex was the missing link. It had to be, right? So she lay down on his bed and let him have her. But it wasn't right. Everything felt off. The way he awkwardly kissed her, the rough way his hands felt, the cramp she was getting in her leg, the way his stubble burned her skin. It was all wrong. Her body felt wrong. It was uncomfortable and not at all what she had imagined it was supposed to be like. But this was Finn Hudson. She was lucky to even be here, in his room, on his bed, underneath him. So she kept her mouth shut and let him continue. He had just come from working out, so he smelled of b.o. and Axe body spray. It made her nauseous. Tears began to form behind her eyes, but she refused to let any of them out. Her stomach began churning and as soon as they were both fully naked, Rachel sat up and told him she couldn't do it. She would never forget the dumbfounded look on his face, but she didn't want to stay to explain. It was a moment of panic. She just had to get out of there, so she grabbed her clothes and ran out. That was pretty much the last time she had really spoken to him.

The fact that Quinn knew about that story made Rachel feel extremely uneasy. Here it was, yet another Sunday night and Rachel was in bed, bracing for the impending doom tomorrow. Her head was in ruins. And she couldn't figure out why this was affecting her so much. There were obviously two very different sides to Quinn and the wretched side was by far outweighing the kind and sensitive side. Rachel knew one thing for certain: she hated Quinn Fabray. Hated her. Hated the way she made her feel and think and question herself. Hated the fact that she drove barely two miles away from the parking lot before pulling over and breaking down, sobbing in her car. Hated that Quinn had this way of making her feel like she meant absolutely nothing and absolutely everything to her at the same time.

Kids at school were never really that nice, but cruelty took on a whole new form when Quinn walked into her life. Rachel couldn't remember if there was ever a time she felt so down on herself, yet simultaneously so fired up. It was getting late and sleep was evading her. She lay on her back in her bed and tried closing her eyes to drown out her thoughts, but it didn't help. All she could picture was Quinn. Her hair, her eyes, her lips, her little half smile she occasionally let Rachel see. She was getting angry. After everything that girl had said to Rachel, how dare she infiltrate her thoughts like this? There was no escape. Rachel could even feel Quinn's presence in her room from that night they rehearsed. Flashes of the actress were now coming more frequently. Rachel's brain was on overload and Quinn was taking up about 90% of it. Anger, rage, bitterness, confusion…it was all too much for her to take. Somehow, a stray tear had made its way down her cheek. Where did that come from? Why was she crying? It was too much. It was all too much. Quinn was everywhere and was obviously not going away anytime soon. She needed some sort of reprieve.

Rachel's heart pounded deep in her chest. Her breaths were short and erratic. She listened closely to hear if her dads were still awake. Nothing stirred outside her door, so she closed her eyes again and slowly moved her hand to the waistband of her shorts. She hesitated just for a moment before moving her hand further down. The moment she made contact with herself, she jolted and pulled her hand away. She covered her face with her other hand and tried to recover from the mortification she felt. Her heart raced faster as she took a deep breath. Her eyes remained closed when her imagination took hold. A vision of Quinn appeared out of nowhere. Rachel pictured the blonde above her, looking down at her. She envisioned those eyes staring back at her as her hands began to explore her body. She could swear she felt her warmth and her soft skin as Rachel moved her hand up her shirt. Her breath hitched the moment her fingers grazed over her own hard nipple. She felt her chest heaving with every breath as she continued cupping and massaging her breasts, visualizing Quinn's hand instead of her own. Her other hand slowly moved south back inside her shorts. This hand had become Quinn's hand, as well. Rachel continued creating this scenario in her head. She imagined Quinn's lips on her neck and Quinn's hand as her fingers made contact and relieved the ache from within her center. She arched her head back and let out a moan. She was surprised at how wet she actually was. She didn't know that simply _thinking_ about Quinn could do this to her. Her breathing grew heavier with each stroke of her fingers. She pictured Quinn's lips moving from her neck to her collarbone down to her abdomen, then back up to her chest. She grazed her nipple once more and a noise escaped her lips that she had never made before. It was a cross between a squeal and a bird chirping. By this point, she was too far gone to even be embarrassed about it.

She could hear Quinn's voice ringing in her ear. She relived all their conversations, picking out certain sentences from Quinn. It made her presence feel so much more real and pushed Rachel to caress herself with more intensity. She writhed on her bed, trying to muffle her groaning.

"Oh God," she whimpered to herself. "Oh my God."

She was panting. Her mouth was dry and her head was swimming. She thought of Quinn slowly moving her lips further down and it was too much for her. She turned her head and buried her face in the pillow as she climaxed. Quinn slipped further and further away the more intense the orgasm got. Soon, she was gone completely as Rachel rode out the rest of the orgasm. The pillow muted her moans as her body slowly stopped quivering. She gulped. Feeling light headed, she leaned her head back to catch her breath. After taking a swig of water, she tried to bring back the vision of Quinn, but couldn't. It was gone. She felt nothing. No rage, no sadness.

'Well,' she thought, 'That did it.'

She was asleep within minutes.

* * *

The choir room. What was once Rachel's sanctuary was now essentially a battlefield. Her brain was battling her heart. Her anger was battling with her concern for Quinn. Her voice was battling with her stubbornness. She wanted to call out Quinn on what happened. She wanted to yell at her, embarrass her. She wanted to scream at Finn for revealing such a personal detail from their past. But she sat there quietly. It was best to not engage. She didn't want to risk experiencing the wrath of Quinn yet again. But conflict outweighed reason the moment the blonde walked in. Rachel suddenly remembered what she had done last night and how that face was burned on her brain. All of a sudden, she pictured herself back in her bed imagining Quinn hovering above her and her face immediately turned bright red. She felt flush and hoped no one would notice.

"What's with the just-fucked look, Berry? Don't tell me you actually got some action last night."

Leave it to Santana to notice.

"No…I…it's just hot in here," protested Rachel.

Santana took a seat next to her. "Right. That sounds legit."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I really don't have to explain myself to you."

"But you went out of your way to do so, didn't you?" Santana teased.

"What do you want, Santana?" Rachel shifted uncomfortably when she realized that perhaps Santana had heard about what happened between her and Finn. She really wasn't ready to deal with this.

The Cheerio looked over at Quinn and Finn, who were whispering to each other.

"Just wondering when you're gonna get over him. He's not worth it, you know."

Rachel sighed in relief. Maybe Quinn was nice enough to not spread the story around.

"I'm over him."

"Then why do I keep catching you staring at him?"

Rachel hadn't realized just how much she had been looking over at those two. She thought she had been discreet, but obviously not. And she wasn't about to tell Santana that maybe it wasn't Finn she was looking at.

"Santana, please. It's fine. I'm fine."

"You haven't been fine for months, Rachel." She moved her chair closer. "Look, I know we don't really talk too much because I find you annoying as fuck and all, but it doesn't mean I'm not concerned."

Silence was best right now for Rachel.

"See? The old Rachel would have had some lame, yet smarmy comeback. You're giving me nothing." Santana folded her arms and crossed her legs. "Look, you want me to tell Blondie McSlutty to back off of him?"

"No, don't!" Rachel snapped. "Santana, I swear to God if you-"

"Geez, okay. I won't." She unfolded her arms and leaned in to Rachel. "But it's nice to see a little spark from you again."

Rachel smiled to herself, being careful not to let Santana see it. She craned her neck over to look at Quinn one more time. If she only knew what had transpired in Rachel's mind last night. She smirked thinking about it just as Quinn glanced over. Their eyes were transfixed on each other. Rachel was watching like she had a secret; as if she knew something Quinn didn't. For a moment, she finally felt like she had the upper hand. Her eyes smoldered as they tried to pick apart Quinn's expression. She watched as Quinn flinched and broke away from the gaze. She placed her hand on top of Finn's and quickly glimpsed back. Rachel held her ground and refused to look away. Quinn was dangling Finn in front of her, trying to get a rise out of her. But she was calm. At least until Finn put his hand on Quinn's thigh. That broke her concentration and snapped Rachel out of it. There was the rage again. There was the fire. She was livid, but why? What had changed? Who cares if Finn was touching her? She looked at the clock. Only fifty-two minutes left of this bullshit. Every other day, glee club seemed to fly by. Today, it's like time knew she wanted to get out of there.

* * *

A couple days later, Rachel sat on the bleachers looking out over the football field. This is where she used to go when she longed for Finn – back when she thought she knew what she wanted. Now she just comes here to think and to be alone. Football practice was underway, but she wasn't watching. Occasionally, she did look over to watch the Cheerios practicing their flips and tumbles. They dispersed once Coach Sylvester dismissed them and Rachel made the mistake of catching Santana's eye on her way off the field. Instead of walking out the gate, she whispered something to Brittany and walked up the bleacher steps to sit next to Rachel.

"I thought your Finn-pining days were over, Berry."

"They are." Rachel thought if she spoke softly and stayed very still, Santana, like t-rex, would simply think she wasn't there.

But that Cheerio was a shrewd one.

"So what are you doing here? Because watching the Cheerios in their short skirts is kind of _my_ thing. And I get to do it up close."

Rachel's uneasiness around Santana slowly started fading. She simply didn't have the energy to be so uptight around her.

"That's not what I'm doing. I came here to think."

"To think about Jockey the Slender Schlong?"

The fact that Santana knew way too much about Finn's genitalia actually made her giggle.

"Give it up, Santana. I'm not thinking about him." She gripped the bench with both hands, as if bracing for something. She wasn't sure what.

"But you are thinking about someone…" Santana put her feet up on the bench in front of them in a rather un-ladylike fashion.

"I just need to clear my head."

They sat in silence for a moment. Santana was focused on her shoes, trying to kick off the dirt from the field. Rachel was almost grateful to have someone there, even in silence. It was comforting. She nervously tapped her foot on the bleacher.

"So are you gonna tell me, or do I have to beat it out of you?" asked Santana, blatantly.

Rachel looked at her and scoffed. "Tell you what?"

"What's been going on with you? Who you're thinking about. Or what you're thinking about. And don't lie. I'm way too good at it, so I know what to look for."

Rachel lowered her head. Her body tensed up. "It's none of your business, Santana."

"Nothing ever is, but I make it my business anyway."

"Just go. Please."

Santana didn't move. It would take a lot more than a plea from Rachel Berry to get her to leave.

Rachel's stomach felt like a vice grip was relentlessly squeezing and turning it over and over. She began to shake out of pure nervousness.

"I'll work it out. It'll be fine." Her voice cracked and her poker face was non-existent. She cowered away from the other girl.

Santana scooted in closer, obviously noticing Rachel's physical change. "Okay, clearly something's wrong. What is it?"

Rachel could hear the concern in her voice, but was resolute in keeping this to herself.

"It's nothing. Just please go, okay?"

Santana shook her head. "No. Look, I know we've butted heads. A lot. And I know I've never been overtly warm to you, but that doesn't mean I don't care. Trolls are people, too."

Rachel chuckled. "You can't even be nice without being mean."

"Okay. You're right. I'm sorry." She put her hand on Rachel's shoulder. "If you tell me what's wrong, I guarantee you'll feel better. Sometimes just saying something out loud can free you of whatever's holding you down. Trust me, I know."

Rachel swallowed hard. She opened her mouth to say something, but then retreated. "I can't."

"You can."

Tears began to materialize behind Rachel's eyes and they slowly started trickling out.

"I don't know what to do," she mumbled weakly. She wiped a few tears away and sniffled. "It's Quinn."

The words were barely above a whisper.

"Quinn?" asked Santana. "What about her?"

Rachel's voice trembled. "You can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay. Tell them what?"

Rachel took a deep breath. "Quinn kissed me."

There. The band-aid had been ripped off. It stung, but only briefly. Rachel was met with silence. The shocked look on Santana's face said it all.

"So, I've managed to silence the epic mouth of Santana Lopez. I'll have to remember this moment."

More silence as Santana's mouth remained open.

"Say something." Rachel couldn't bring herself to look at her.

"I…wow. So, Little Miss Hollywood has a thing for the ladies? How did I miss that?"

"Well, she said it was nothing. It didn't mean anything and basically wanted to pretend like it never happened." The metal from the bench was starting to leave a mark on her hands. She moved her hands and examined the lines left behind on her skin.

"Yeah, I've had those moments, too. That's what I said about me and Brit hooking up all last year. That it was 'nothing.' But it _did_ happen. Denial is a tricky thing." offered Santana.

Rachel lowered her voice. She felt physically ill. She was terrified of the truth, terrified of saying it out loud. "That's not all." She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "The thing is…I _liked _it."

"Wait, you _enjoyed_ it?" Santana's tone wasn't accusatory, but more surprised.

Rachel slowly nodded.

"Jesus, my gaydar is completely off."

"I didn't say I was gay," protested Rachel.

"Okay, but a hot girl kissed you and you enjoyed it, right?"

Rachel sighed. "A famous actress kissed me and I probably just got caught up in the excitement. Besides, she said it didn't mean anything."

"That's bullshit, Berry. And you know it. You don't _accidentally _kiss someone."

"It did seem pretty intentional."

"So she kissed you. You liked it. Then she told you it never happened. And now you're confused?" Santana leaned back on the bleachers and stretched out her back.

"I guess."

Santana nodded. "Do you like her?"

The loaded question. She knew it would eventually be asked. She watched as the football players ended their practice and scanned the field for Finn. If Finn was there, maybe Quinn was close by, but she didn't see either of them.

"If I say yes, what does that mean?" She looked at Santana pleadingly.

"It means that you like Quinn. Simple as that. You don't have to explain anything else to yourself or anyone else right now. Just that you like her."

"But she's awful. She's mean and nasty has said some really hurtful things. So why do I even like her?"

Santana shrugged. "I honestly don't know. Seems like a bitch to me."

Rachel agreed with her but felt defensive at the same time. She sniffled once more and wiped away another tear.

Santana put her arm around her. "Hey, it's going to be okay. Let me ask you, do you feel better now that you've said it out loud?"

"Yeah…a little."

"It'll only get better from now. I promise. And don't worry, I won't tell anybody."

"Thank you." She rubbed her eyes, which were now red and splotchy. "So, what do I do?"

Santana removed her arm from Rachel's shoulder. "Well, you like her right?"

"Yeah. Sometimes. Other times, she's terrible."

"Well, why don't you try going for it?"

"I have things working against me. First of all, she's with Finn."

"Gross."

"Second, she's untouchable."

"Well, obviously not if she kissed you."

"You know what I mean. She's famous and glamorous and…painfully beautiful." Rachel blushed at that last part.

"Wow…you are _really_ into her."

Rachel smiled coyly. "I don't know…maybe. Last night, I-" She caught herself before she said anything further.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Berry, come on. Spill."

"I just…thought about her. A lot." She was bright red by this point and staring down at her shoes.

Santana didn't need to hear anymore. She grinned. "Wanky."

"Shut up."

"Wow, Berry. I didn't know you had it in you."

"Wanky."

Santana chuckled. "Touche."

They shared a much-needed laugh. The tension had been broken and Rachel was starting to feel more at ease.

Santana stood up and reached out her hand. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"You want Quinn Fabray? We're gonna get you Quinn Fabray. I have plan."

Rachel looked at her skeptically, but took her hand anyway and followed her down the bleachers.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" asked Santana.

Rachel sat on Brittany's bed, petting Lord Tubbington. Santana excitedly stood over her, waiting for her reaction while Brittany spun around in her swivel chair – her blond ponytail whipping around with each spin.

"You can't be serious," replied Rachel.

"Why not? It's the perfect plan."

"No way. I'm not doing it."

"Why?" Santana looked over at the spinning Cheerio. "Brit, will you tell her it's an awesome idea and that I'm a genius for thinking of it?"

Brittany stopped spinning and looked back and forth between the two of them.

"I think you should do it."

"What? You're on board with this?" Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing. She got up from the bed. "Look, Santana. I don't know why I agreed to let you tell Brittany. You swore you wouldn't tell anyone."

"You said I could. And I had to tell her if this plan was going to work. I can't just leave her in the dark about it. Besides, she won't tell anyone, will you, Brit?"

Brittany shook her head. "It's no one's business except yours…and Santana's….and now mine."

Rachel paced back and forth. "You really think this will work?"

"Berry, jealousy is at the heart of every living, breathing human being. If you want to find out if she feels the same way about you, you have to give her something to be jealous about. She's using Finn, so why shouldn't you use someone?"

"Yeah, but do you really think she would buy us being together? Besides, you're with Brittany."

"Yeah, but only like half the glee club knows she and I are together. Quinn most likely doesn't know." Santana reached her arms out to stop Rachel from pacing. "Look, I promise I'll be a gentleman. I won't get too handsy and we'll just do enough to let her think we're together."

Rachel looked over at Brittany. "And you're okay with this?"

Brittany smiled and nodded. "I think it's sweet. Santana's playing matchmaker. Besides, Santana said it wouldn't count as cheating because it was acting and she said she doesn't find hobbits attractive, anyway."

Rachel looked at Santana incredulously.

Santana sweetly smiled and shrugged. "It slipped. I'm sorry. You're not a hobbit."

Rachel couldn't believe what she was about to say, but she was also curious to see what Quinn's reaction would be to this whole plan. After everything Quinn had done to hurt her and make her feel like crap, it would be interesting to see if this had any affect on her.

"Okay. Fine. Let's do it."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Santana. "Now…we've got to do something about those shoes. I wouldn't be caught dead dating someone in those shoes."

Rachel scowled. This was going to be a challenge.


	7. What the Fuck Was I Thinking?

Rachel sat nervously at a little round table playing with her straw wrapper and sipping her iced mocha. She shouldn't be here. What on earth made her even agree to do this? She must have been outside of her mind. Her judgment seemed to have been rather questionable ever since Quinn Fabray walked into her life with her fashionable heels and devastatingly gorgeous legs. Unfortunately, she also brought her vicious words and Hollywood attitude with her. Rachel took another sip of her coffee. Caffeine probably wasn't the best choice at this moment. It felt like every organ inside of her was galloping around in every direction. She tapped her fingernails on the table as her right knee violently shook. Every five seconds, she glanced over at the front door expecting to see a perfectly coifed mop of blonde hair walking in. And every time, the disappointment grew within her.

Yesterday, Quinn had left a note in Rachel's locker to meet her at The Lima Bean at 3pm. Rachel didn't want to go, but made the mistake of telling Santana about the note. The Cheerio said it was the perfect opportunity. Perfect opportunity for what? Rachel didn't know, but Santana was convinced that this would be the day they would execute their plan.

Rachel searched the café, observing its occupants. Santana said she'd be here at 2:30, but she was nowhere to be found. Then, Rachel saw her. She couldn't believe she had missed it earlier, but there was Santana sitting in the corner wearing a trench coat and sunglasses pretending to be completely engrossed in a book, while simultaneously scanning the room with her eyes. They fell upon Rachel. She lowered her sunglasses and placed her index finger on the side of her nose.

Rachel tilted her head and furrowed her brow. Real inconspicuous, Lopez.

The trench coat was short enough to show off her legs and she only had one button fastened, showing off her other assets that she was quite proud of.

Rachel shrugged at her as if asking Santana what the hell she was going. Instead of a physical response, Rachel received a text from her.

**Jessica Shay, 10 o'clock.**

Rachel looked to her left, but didn't see anything. Her phone went off again.

**No, ****_my_**** ten o'clock.**

Rachel looked straight ahead, but still didn't see Quinn. Another buzz from her phone.

**Christ, Berry. Look to your right.**

Rachel looked over to her right toward the back entrance of the shop. There was Quinn – wearing a sundress and a sweater in high-heeled boots. Besides the boots, she's still not dressed for the weather in Ohio and Rachel couldn't stop herself from grinning about that. She adjusted her facial expression immediately. She wasn't about to let Quinn control her emotions. As much as she didn't want to take her eyes off of the blonde, Rachel quickly glanced over at Santana to see what she was doing. The book had been moved fully in front of her face, trying to avoid any recognition from Quinn.

There was a physical change within Rachel the moment Quinn came within a foot of her. She found herself straining her neck while look at up at her. She was glorious and Rachel had to stifle a whimper. She kept herself composed and was determined to make Quinn talk first.

Neither of them made a move. It had been two minutes of Quinn towering over Rachel until she finally sat down across from Rachel at the table.

Rachel's phone buzzed once more and both of them jumped at the sound. She moved her phone under the table to read the text.

**Operation Green-Eyed Monster has commenced.**

Rachel couldn't believe how much Santana was getting into this. She was about to put her phone away when it buzzed once more.

**The package will soon be delivered.**

Rachel did her best not to give away Santana's position by looking at her. She looked up at Quinn instead, who still made no effort to say a word. Rachel looked back down and began texting.

**What package? What the hell are you talking about? Does everything have to be in code?**

Santana's texts were the only thing keeping her from going insane from the silence. Another buzz.

**Affirmative.**

Rachel rolled her eyes and tucked her phone away in her purse. She was way too tense to deal with this right now. Her eyes peered across the table once more. Quinn's head was down, revealing to Rachel just how insanely long her eye lashes were. Was there anything about this girl that wasn't perfect? Oh yeah…her personality. Rachel defiantly took another sip of her coffee while waiting for Quinn to say something. She was nervous as hell, but wasn't about to show it. Her stomach was in knots by this point. Why wasn't Quinn saying anything?

The silence was broken when Quinn cleared her throat. Her eyes finally met Rachel's.

"Thank you for meeting me."

Her voice didn't even falter. Rachel was hoping for the slightest crack, but there was nothing but confidence. Damn actresses.

Rachel shrugged. She'd be damned if she responded to five simple words. You're going to have to do better than that, Miss Fabray.

"I wanted to apologize."

That was more like it. Rachel put her drink down.

"Again?"

An audible sigh escaped from the blonde's lips. "Yes. Again." She placed her elbows on the table and leaned forward. "I was an asshole. An epic asshole and you didn't deserve that. I'm sorry."

Before Rachel could respond, a leggy blonde came sashaying over to their table and placed a fresh iced mocha on the table in front of Rachel.

"Brittany?" Rachel knew this was part of the plan, but she did her best to act surprised.

"It's from Santana," explained Brittany. "She says to tell you she's sorry she's running late, but she'll be here soon."

Rachel nodded. "Well, thank you."

Quinn looked confused. "Wait, you're meeting Santana here? What, did you think you needed some muscle just to meet with me?"

Rachel remained steadfast. There was no going back now. "No. Not really. We just wanted to meet for coffee." Nonchalant was the way she was playing this. It was her best defense.

"The same time you were meeting me?"

"She's always fashionably late. And I really didn't know how long this would take."

Her tone was rather cold and unfeeling. It was the performance of a lifetime. Quinn wasn't the only actress at this table.

"Okay. So…Brittany. Santana just called you and had you come here to bring Rachel coffee?"

Brittany shrugged. "I was in the area. See you guys later!"

She was gone as quickly as she appeared.

Quinn turned back to Rachel, still confused. "That was weird."

"Was it? Brittany's always kind of been an enigma of sorts."

They were stuck once again in silence. Their eyes lock on each other. Rachel brought her hands under the table. She didn't want Quinn to see her nervously wringing them. She refused to show her cards. Santana's words kept ringing in her head. 'Keep the upper hand.'

"Okay, let's try this again." Quinn conceded yet again.

Rachel crossed her legs in anticipation of what she was about to hear.

"I'm sorry."

"You said that already." It was harsh, but Quinn's cutting words were still ringing in Rachel's head.

"I know. I just want to make sure you know that." Quinn brought her hands together and folded them in front of her, almost as if pleading for Rachel's forgiveness. "I think that…I think I'd really like to start over again with you."

"We haven't really started anything. We've had like, what, five conversations?" Rachel uncrossed her legs. Why couldn't she just sit still? Her concentration was waning at the mere thought of the actress sitting across from her. Perhaps if she wasn't Quinn Fabray. If she was just another person. Another asshole who threw a slushie in her face and said really cruel things to her. It would make hating her so much easier.

Quinn squirmed. "True, but I've said more to you since I've been in Ohio than I've said to anyone else here. Doesn't that count for something?"

"What about Finn?"

Quinn inhaled deeply, her breath wavering. "I'm offering my friendship, Rachel. I think we could be good friends."

"The Plain Jane and the movie star: best friends? Is this some cruel prank?" Rachel didn't want to say it, but it had to be said. She still didn't trust Quinn. And part of her was beyond disappointed at the term 'friendship' but that was an entirely different story.

"It's not like that, Rachel. I swear-"

Before Quinn could utter another word, they felt a presence next to them. They both looked over so see a young girl standing next to Quinn.

"Hi," the young girl said with a smile.

"Hello there." Quinn's tone was very friendly.

"Um…can I have your autograph?" The girl had more composure than Rachel had in Quinn's presence. The brunette found herself feeling oddly embarrassed about that.

Quinn smiled sweetly. "Sure." She grabbed the pen and the napkin the girl was holding. "What's your name?"

"Robyn."

"Robyn…with a 'y' or an 'I'?"

"A 'y'." The girl giggled.

"That's a very pretty name." Quinn was obviously a natural with her fans.

"Thank you. I'm a really big fan. I can't wait for your next movie!" The girl took the napkin and pen back from Quinn and read what Quinn wrote. She smiled and ran back over to her mother.

A straight-faced Rachel almost cracked after seeing that display. How fucking adorable was that? It was a nice change to see Quinn act so sweet and civil to someone, especially a complete stranger. But it only led to more confusion. If this girl caught Quinn on an off day, would she have been on the receiving end of Quinn's wrath? Or was that only specifically reserved for Rachel?

She took this moment to look over to where Santana was sitting, but she was no longer there. She disappeared. Where the hell did she go? Rachel looked around, but there was no sign of her.

Oh crap.

"Anyway," Quinn tried to get Rachel's attention once more. "As I was saying-"

"Sorry, I'm late, babe. I swear it's not my fault." Santana seemed to appear out of nowhere. Rachel looked up at her. She had ditched the trench coat and sunglasses and was _very_ overdressed in a sleek, satin red dress. Rachel found herself almost gaping at the sight. It was hard not to. Santana leaned down and kissed Rachel's cheek – a gesture she was not expecting. Rachel jumped at the contact. Santana grabbed a chair and took a seat next to Rachel. "Oh good, you got my apology coffee. Remind me to thank Brit for that favor."

Santana proceeded to put her arm around Rachel. She was really laying it on thick. Say what you want about Santana Lopez, but she never did anything half-assed. She was balls to the wall 24/7.

This is not what they discussed and Rachel's shoulder tensed up at Santana's touch, but the look on Quinn's face made it all worth it. Her incredulous and perplexed expression encouraged Rachel to lean in closer to Santana. Maybe Santana was right all along. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to gauge Quinn's reaction.

Santana smiled at Rachel and looked over at Quinn. "Oh hey. Sorry, I didn't know this would be a threesome."

Quinn stood up. "Actually, I was just leaving."

Rachel could swear she heard Quinn's voice break. Her eyes were facing downward, unable to look at the two of them. She was about to object to her leaving, but Santana nudged her and shook her head 'no.' Rachel bit her lip and watched as Quinn left, looking like she had been defeated. The moment she was out the door, Santana removed her arm from Rachel's shoulder and grabbed the ice mocha from the table.

"You gonna drink this?"

Rachel shook her head, still focusing on the door. The blonde was completely out of sight by now.

Santana leaned back in her chair. "Well, I think that went perfectly, don't you?"

* * *

Later that week, Rachel strolled down the hallway toward the auditorium where the glee club was meeting. She was dead set on making into the theater without Santana staking a fake claim on her. She picked up her pace, but before she made it to the door, a tall blonde cut her off.

"Oh," Rachel stopped abruptly. "Sorry, I didn't see you." That was a lie. She spotted her long before that, but damned if she was going to admit it.

Quinn took a step forward. Rachel stood her ground, but she suddenly believed her legs no longer existed. Apparently she was floating. Yet she couldn't seem to float up to Quinn's height. The blonde's heels made extra sure of that. It never quite sat well with Rachel that Quinn always towered over her. She felt like a child. Almost…hobbit-like. Damn it, Santana.

Rachel steadied her breath and prepared for another epic stare-down with the taller girl. Neither girl looked away.

"Thanks for meeting me the other day."

Rachel could feel Quinn's breath on her face. Why was she so close?

"No problem."

Quinn cocked her head to the side. "Did you have time to think about my proposition?"

Proposition? Did Rachel somehow miss Quinn propositioning her?

"Wh…what do you mean?" Keep it cool, Rachel. Do not waver.

"You know…friends?" Quinn practically whispered it as she leaned in closer.

Do friends normally talk this close? Rachel swallowed hard.

"Oh…that."

Quinn reached her hand out to touch Rachel's, but then retreated when a few students ran by. Quinn's breath quickened.

"Yeah…that. Look, I know that maybe I don't deserve it-"

"Maybe?"

"Okay, I was a complete…what's the word?"

Rachel folded her arms and shifted her weight to her right foot. "I don't know. What's the female equivalent of a douche bag?"

Quinn tried to hide the sting of Rachel's words and nodded. "Okay. When we figure out what that is, that's what I'll be."

Rachel didn't respond.

"You're not making this easy for me."

"I know. Good." She peered around Quinn's shoulder. "We should probably go in." She maneuvered her way around Quinn, but the blonde grabbed her arm. Not in a forceful way, but more in a pleading way.

"Rachel, please."

The 'please' coming from Quinn's mouth clamped around Rachel's heart, prompting her to stop and turn around. Quinn's hand loosened from her arm, but not completely. Before Rachel could respond, Santana swooped in out of nowhere.

"Hey, hon." Santana came up from behind Rachel and put her arm around the shorter girl's waist. "I've been looking for you. I missed you." She placed a kiss on Rachel's cheek. Then another on the corner of her mouth.

Rachel stiffly and awkwardly pulled her face away. Her eyes bore into Santana's, silently asking her what the fuck she was doing. Santana was going off book and definitely breaking the rules. She was answered with a flirtatious wink. Great. That's helpful.

"Shall we?" asked Santana as she offered Rachel her arm.

"Um…actually, can you give me a minute? I'll be right there."

"Sure thing. But don't be too long." Santana gave Rachel a one-armed hug and followed it up with grabbing her ass.

Rachel squealed and jumped, then covered it by clearing her throat. That was _not_ part of the deal. She looked over at Quinn, who was looking away. Maybe Santana knows what she's doing after all.

Santana finally acknowledged Quinn's presence. "Oh, hey Quinn. Sorry, I didn't see you."

"Apparently you're not the only one." Quinn couldn't bring herself to look at her.

Santana looked her up and down. "Wow, you are one tall drink of bitch, aren't you?"

She turned and walked into the auditorium, mouthing to Rachel as she left, "She wants you."

Once Santana was out of sight and out of earshot, the two girls faced each other again. Quinn nervously bit her lip.

"What was _that_?"

"That was Santana," replied Rachel, matter-of-factly.

"I know, but…I mean…are you two…together, or something?" Quinn emphasized 'together' almost as if she didn't want Rachel to answer.

Rachel shrugged. Could she really keep up with this lie?

Quinn searched for words. "But I thought she and Brittany were a thing."

Rachel blinked. Apparently word does get around and Quinn does pay attention. How could Rachel answer this without making it a complete and blatant lie?

"I guess things change."

Quinn scoffed and shook her head. "So you're _dating_ her? A cheerleader?"

Why did Rachel suddenly feel defensive? "And so what if I am? What does it matter?"

"She just seemed to be really into Brittany. At least, from what I could tell. Besides, I just don't really see you two together."

"Why? Because she's popular? And pretty?" Rachel was ready to charge past her into the auditorium, but opted to stay and hear what Quinn had to say.

"I'm just…confused. She's a girl. And a cheerleader. And…"

"Aren't _you_ going to be a Cheerio?"

The blonde lowered her head. "No. I decided I don't want to do it. It's not really my thing." Quinn spoke with a sweet honesty and Rachel was finding hard to stay mad at her.

"Oh."

Rachel watched Quinn's downcast eyes search for something to say.

"So, you and…Santana?"

Rachel couldn't stand to see the utter confusion in Quinn's face. She didn't know how much more she could take.

"Can we talk about this later? I'm gonna go inside."

Quinn nodded silently as they headed into the auditorium.

* * *

It seemed to be an ongoing thing with Quinn. Every time Rachel looked in her direction, she would immediately cozy up to Finn. Rachel was getting sick of it. By the week's end, it had happened multiple times. The fifth time it happened over the week, Rachel shook her head then cautiously reached for Santana's hand. With her hand hovering over Santana's, she looked over at Brittany, asking for permission. Brittany saw the look on her face and smiled and nodded.

And thus continued the Fabray/Berry dance. Quinn would lean on Finn's shoulder, Rachel would whisper something in Santana's ear. Quinn would cheer loudly after Finn sang, Rachel would focus solely on Santana's backside every time she danced. Quinn would allow Finn's hand on her thigh, Rachel would jump at how uncomfortably high Santana's hand would be on her leg. But she let her do it. Because Quinn was looking. Quinn was always looking.

Game. Set. Match. Advantage: Berry.

Once glee club had been dismissed on Friday, Rachel hung around and waited for the crowd to clear. Once she was alone, she walked up to the stage and faced out toward the seats. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It had been a while since she had this feeling. A feeling of passion. A feeling of peace. The room echoed as she exhaled. The acoustics were absolutely perfect in this place. She hadn't been alone here in a long time. Not since she used to put in extra hours practicing singing after school her sophomore year.

She turned and walked toward the piano in the middle of the stage. Her fingers pressed down on a couple of keys and the notes filled up the room. She played a few more notes of what sounded like the theme from _Beauty and the Beast_. It was a half-assed attempt, but at least all the notes were right. The lights were dim on the stage and she pretended the bright beam of a spotlight shone upon her. A smile crept upon her face as she finished the song, singing quietly along with each note.

As the song ended, Rachel heard someone applauding in the back row. It was too dark to see who it was, but Rachel knew. She knew in an instant. It was Quinn. The shadow stepped forward down the aisle and revealed herself.

"Beautiful."

Rachel leaned against the piano.

"Thanks. It was just messing around."

Quinn made her way up the stairs on the side of the stage. "I didn't know you play piano."

"I don't really. Just enough to help me practice singing. Do you play?"

Quinn's face was fully revealed in the dim light on stage as she leaned forward against the other side of the piano. She struck a few keys on the higher end of the piano.

"Sadly, no. I never tackled the piano. But I do play the guitar."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I had to learn it for a three-episode arc I did on _Grey's Anatomy_. It was years ago. I supposed to be a musical child prodigy who lost her arm in a boating accident."

"Oh wow. Sounds challenging." Rachel played along, pretending she hadn't seen those episodes, when in reality, she had.

"It was fun. One of my first acting gigs, actually. But I liked playing the guitar so much, I kept taking lessons. Another thing to add to my resume, I guess."

"You should play sometime." Rachel traced her fingers along the smooth mahogany of the piano, leaving behind a small smudge from the oils in her finger.

"Maybe. It's been a while since I've played in front of anyone." Quinn came around and sat down on the piano bench, finally allowing Rachel to be the one looking down at her. She folded her hands between her knees and rocked forward. "Listen Rachel, there's something I need you to know about me."

Rachel leaned forward in anticipation.

"I have a tendency to get defensive about certain things. And then I kick into full bitch mode if I feel like I'm losing the slightest bit of control."

Rachel nodded. "Okay."

"And I'm sorry that you had to witness that on multiple occasions."

There was a lump building in Rachel's throat. She swallowed it back down. There was no way she was going to show weakness in this moment.

"Okay, then," replied Rachel.

"Okay then…what?"

"Okay. We can be friends. We'll try it. See how it goes," Rachel sat down next to her.

Quinn exhaled deeply. "Okay. Good to know." She was trying to hide her smile, but failing pretty badly. "So, now that we're friends, does that mean we get to talk about 'friend' things?"

"Oh man. Should I be afraid?" asked Rachel, jokingly.

"I'll be kind. Don't worry." Quinn nudged her, playfully. "I just wanted to ask…I mean, I didn't know you were…"

"I didn't know I was either. Honestly, I still don't know. It's just….a thing. That's happening. Plus, Santana's pretty persistent. I guess I just don't like to put a label on things."

Quinn nodded. "So, you really like her?"

"She's very sweet."

"That's not what I've heard. Or experienced."

"You have to get to know her. She's one of those 'hard exterior' people. I'm sure you can relate." Rachel crossed her legs and rubbed her exposed knee with her hand. She needed something to channel her nervous energy. Why did she wear a skirt? Her legs were freezing. Perhaps Quinn's lack of winter wardrobe knowledge was rubbing off on her. Rubbing off. Oh God, now she was having a flashback of that night in her bed. For the love of God, Quinn, say something!

"And Brittany doesn't mind that you two are…seeing each other?"

Rachel shrugged. She didn't know how much longer she could go one with this. Lying wasn't her strong suit. Especially lying to someone who had just been so honest with her. She opened her mouth to say something, but forgot the words that formed in her head. The moment she caught Quinn's gaze, she seemed to have forgotten every word that ever existed. Except "lips." Lips was a word she knew very well. And it was Quinn lips that she _wanted_ to know even better. But, no. Friends. They were friends now. And friends don't do that. Do they? No. No, they don't. Besides, as far as Quinn knew, she's "with" Santana.

"So, how are you?" It was a simple question. Perhaps kind of stupid, even. But it was legit. Rachel really wanted to know how she was.

Quinn smirked. "It's been a while since somebody's asked me that. I'm okay. I'm…still getting used to Ohio. Sort of."

It was in this moment, Quinn's cell phone went off, startling them both. They laughed simultaneously as Quinn checked her phone.

"It's my agent." She hit ignore. "There's been a lot of pressure from my PR team to come back."

"Your parents still aren't having it?"

"They don't seem to want to budge."

"I'm sorry. That must be pretty frustrating." Rachel knew a little bit about frustration. Especially these days. She stood up and smoothed out her skirt. "We should probably get going." She reached her hand out to Quinn to help her up.

Quinn took her hand. There was a pause before she stood up. A brief moment of palpitating heartbeats between the two of them. Rachel felt it immediately. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it passed too quickly for her to figure it out. Quinn was up and at her side in no time as they headed out the door.

* * *

The entire weekend that followed, Rachel was plagued with feelings of guilt. She didn't know why. She thought Quinn had it coming to her after the way she treated her, but something just wasn't sitting right with Rachel. Normally, she wasn't afraid to fight fire with fire but maybe lying to Quinn wasn't the best way to solve this mess. They had established a friendship. Why tempt karma by packing on more and more lies?

By early Monday morning, she was way too keyed up to sleep. It was 4am and her patience for the sun to come up was wearing thin. So she got out of bed, grabbed her phone and started pacing around the room as she dialed.

She heard some muffled groaning and could have sworn she heard a couple of obscenities mumbled.

She listened as a grumpy voice on the other end clear her throat. "Someone better either be horny, dying, or need help moving a body because no one in their right mind would call me at this hour."

"Not even your girlfriend?" prodded Rachel.

"My girlfriend is in bed next to me. What do you want, Berry?"

Rachel continued her pacing. "I called to tell you that I'm out."

There was a brief pause.

"...of the closet?"

"No. Wake up, Santana."

"It's too early," she yawned.

"I'm saying I'm out. I'm done with this plan." Rachel nervously ran her fingers through her hair.

Another pause. She could hear Santana's sheets rustling as whispers were being exchanged.

"You can't back out now." Santana's voice was now echoing. Rachel would only assume she went into the bathroom so as not to disturb Brittany.

"I can't do this anymore. It's ridiculous. It was a stupid plan."

"Hey," Santana's voice boomed. "Do _not_ knock the plan. It was genius and you know it. Besides, we've got her right where we want her. She's playing into our hands perfectly."

"This isn't a game, Santana!" Rachel's anger was starting to take hold, most likely because of the insurmountable amount of guilt that had been building up inside her.

"Geez. Calm down."

"I'm not going to calm down! I can't lie to her!" Rachel tried to keep her voice down so as not to disturb her dads.

"But she can treat you like shit?"

It was a fair question.

"She apologized for that. A lot."

"Face it, she's a bitch. And she deserves to be messed with a little bit."

"Santana, if you say one more mean thing about her, I swear to God I will come over, pull you out of your house by your perfectly styled ponytail, tie you to a chair on your front porch and make you listen to me sing the entire _Evita_ soundtrack."

"Whoa! Calm your tits, Berry. Okay, I'm sorry. I'll stop. But before you give up on this, can I just say one thing?"

"What?"

"Look at what Quinn does to you."

Rachel stopped her pacing and switched the phone to her other ear. "What do you mean?"

"That was an impressive mix of insanity and passion. I'm impressed. See what she does to you? She brings that out of you. Do you really want to give something like that up when we're so close?"

Rachel sat down on her bed and took a few calming breaths. "You really think it's working?"

"I do," said the voice on the other end.

Rachel often found herself struggling between conflict and reason when it came to Quinn. It was almost getting to the point of being unbearable. There had to be an end in sight to this torture. Santana seemed to know what she was talking about. Rachel had never seen her be so intent on making something work like this. It was endearing. Though Santana would probably never admit it, she obviously cared about Rachel. At least in some capacity.

"Rachel, we can do this. It's just a little bit longer." Santana's voice was gentle and cajoling. "I'm going to ask you something and I need you to be honest with me. And with yourself. Do you want her?"

Rachel pondered the question. It echoed in her brain and weaved its way in and out of her head and through her entire body. Did she want Quinn Fabray? Did she even really know her? Did she _want_ to know her? What would her answer mean? It wasn't exactly the easiest question to contemplate and she really didn't know if she wanted to admit the truth. Was she ready to deal with the ramifications?

She lay back on her bed and stretched out. Heaving a massive sigh, she answered Santana's question.

"Yes."

It was quick and quiet, but Santana heard it loud and clear.

"Then go get her."

"It's not that simple. She made it clear that she just wants to be friends. She doesn't want me."

"She does. She just doesn't know it."

Santana's words sent a surge through Rachel's body. Santana's did have a way of reading people. It was one of her many talents. Probably due to that psychic Mexican third eye she's always bragging about.

"Okay, but if we're going to keep this up, we need to make sure the ground rules stay in place. I don't know what possessed you to kiss me, but please control your carnal desires around me."

"Whoa whoa whoa. I did that as a favor to you, Berry. I gave Quinn what she needed to see. You think I actually _liked_ kissing you? I had to go down on Brittany three times that night just to get the taste out of mouth."

Rachel winced. Did she really just say that? "I…th…that is entirely inappropriate. Does Brittany know you talk that way?"

"That's one of the reasons she loves me. Speaking of, I'm feeling cold and lonely and she's warm in my bed, so I'm gonna go. You should get some sleep, relax. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Santana." Rachel heard a click before she even finished talking.

Rachel tossed her phone next to her and scooted back in her bed. Her thoughts immediately turned to Quinn and the conversation they had in the auditorium. She was getting really tired of Quinn Fabray infiltrating her thoughts. She decided not to fight it anymore. She was tired of fighting. She fell back to sleep thinking of those hazel-green eyes. Those goddamn, stupid, enigmatic, intoxicating hazel-green eyes. It was the last vision in Rachel's head before slumber took over her.


	8. I'm An Invisible Disaster

**Quinn's POV**

* * *

Quinn was pretty sure that her newly instated life of structure and monotony would eventually end up being the death of her. Every evening, she fell asleep to silence. Every morning, she woke up to birds chirping outside her window. It took all her strength not to throw one of her Jimmy Choos at them, if not for the fact that she was pretty sure she would be unable to procure another pair like that in Lima, Ohio. Not that she was an animal hater. She had donated to PETA in the past and tried the vegan lifestyle for six months when Natalie Portman had once revealed to her the importance of that kind of diet. However, one slip-up while eating bacon after a nasty hangover made her realize how much of a carnivore she really was. And that was the end of her vegan trend.

These birds, however, were the epitome of everything she hated about Lima. They were so predictable. Every morning at 6am, they would make their presence known. They were taunting her, teasing her, depriving her of sleep and reminding her every morning that she was still here and not where she needed to be. She hadn't been in front of a camera in five months. She hadn't read a new script four months. And she hadn't heard from her L.A. friends since she moved out here three months ago. It's a known fact that "out of sight, out of mind" is the only guaranteed truth in Hollywood and Quinn was going stir crazy thinking about that. She had her premiere for _Ten Stories Down_ to look forward to and once it was released, it would buy her some time, but this was the first time in years she didn't have a project lined up. She and her team are hoping for a hit so she could sign on for the sequel. Right now, December 18th couldn't come fast enough. It was merely a few weeks away, but she couldn't wait to get back and see all her friends. She missed everyone. Even Janet, her shrew of an agent. She could hardly stand the woman. Nobody really could. She was a ball buster, but her persistence and bitchiness got the job done and Quinn was thankful for it.

She was starting to miss her co-stars from the show even more. It had been six months since her parents sat her down and told her they didn't want her returning to the show. Not after everything that had happened. They would not renew her contract and she would spend the summer finishing up filming her new movie and after that, they were moving to Ohio. It was not up for discussion. Quinn cried. She cried harder than she ever had and that last day on the _Outside Hearts_ set was the most difficult day of her young life thus far. That show had been her life since she was thirteen. The world had watched Jessica Shay grow up before their eyes. It was a huge shock to people when she left. Fans had started a campaign to bring her back since the studio had cited "contract dispute" as the reason for her leaving. It wasn't true, but anything was better than the truth getting out. Quinn's parents never gave her an exact reason for pulling her from the show, but she knew that they knew. And discussion of it was obviously off limits.

Quinn was desperate. She had looked into emancipation and asked her agent to call a few lawyers and see what they could do. But her parents never mistreated her or mismanaged her funds. They had done everything by the book and there was no 'just cause' for her to file for emancipation. So Quinn had to say goodbye to the only life she had ever known. No more famous friends to go clubbing with. Now she spent her days at the Lima Bean or at the local bowling alley. No more tutors on the set. Now she had to settle into a real school. The only thing she knew about real schools, she had learned from either watching TV or from her experience as a high school student on the show. From what she knew, the best way to fit in was to be a cheerleader and date someone on the football team – preferably the captain. It seemed simple enough, but she came to find she had no interest in cheerleading. And the captain of the football team was starting to become a 180-pound thorn in her side. She couldn't go an hour without him texting or calling and, while he seemed nice enough, she really had to struggle to find herself attracted to him. He was a far cry from all the other guys she was linked to in the past, but he looked good on her arm. Maybe not as good as Zac Efron, but for Lima standards, it worked. She felt like a complete snob for thinking that, but it was true. If she was going to survive high school unscathed and get back to Hollywood for good once she turned eighteen, she had to lead as normal a life as possible.

Quinn got up, got ready for the day and headed downstairs. Her parents weren't exactly the domestic types, either, but they tried. Her dad was reading the newspaper in the living room and her mom was burning bacon and serving runny eggs for breakfast.

"Hungry, Quinnie?" Her mom held up the charred bacon with a spatula.

"Sure." Quinn had to give Judy an A for effort.

Judy served up three plates and set them all on the table.

"Russell, come eat breakfast."

Her dad grumbled from the living room. "I'm fine with my coffee."

Quinn picked up a fork and moved her eggs across the plate, trying to summon the courage to actually eat them.

"So Quinn, how's school?"

She cringed at the question. Just as Quinn had learned everything about high school from TV, she's pretty sure her mother learned everything about raising a teenage daughter from TV, as well. It was only one of maybe five questions her mother had asked since they moved here. She rotated them every day. Sometimes, she'd even use them all up in one day.

"It's fine. I'm enjoying glee club."

"Oh well, you have a lovely voice. I'm sure they're happy to have you."

Quinn couldn't help but think of Rachel at this moment. What was she doing right now? Was she eating breakfast? Still sleeping? Already on her way to school? She shook the thoughts of the brunette out of her head and tried to focus on the obligatory small talk between her and her mother.

"Yeah."

Judy was silent for a moment, watching her daughter play with her food like a five-year-old.

"Are you okay, sweetie?"

'No, I'm not okay. You moved me out in the middle of nowhere and I want to go home where I belong.' Quinn fought every urge to say this to her mother, but all she did was nod.

"Quinn, who's Rachel?"

She abruptly stopped pushing her eggs around and dropped her fork.

"Why?"

"Well, a girl named Rachel called last night. You know I don't like you giving out our number. It's not safe."

"I didn't! I mean…I…I think I meant to give her my cell phone number. Maybe I gave her the land line by mistake." It wasn't a mistake. Quinn had given her both. She had written them down on the note she left in Rachel's locker to meet her at the Lima Bean a couple weeks ago in hopes that she would use one of them. She tried to hide her smile from Judy.

"Well, she called your cell phone, too."

Quinn panicked realizing she had left her phone in the kitchen last night.

"You looked at my cell phone?" Turning things around on her mother was the only way she'd get out of the third degree.

"It was right there. And the buzzing was driving me crazy."

"That is my property! You have no right to do that!" Quinn angrily stood up and grabbed her cell phone from the counter.

"Last I checked, I'm your mother and I can do pretty much what I want in respects to raising you." Judy kept her voice calm as she poured more coffee.

"You never looked through my phone before."

"Well, now things are different. I should have been monitoring it a long time ago." She stood up to face Quinn. "Now tell me, who's Rachel?"

Quinn glared at her mother. "She's in the glee club, okay? Why does it matter?"

"I'm just wondering why she keeps calling you. And it was pretty late at night."

Quinn couldn't believe what her mother was saying. A year ago, it didn't even matter if Quinn strolled in at 5am after a party at Brittany Snow's house. It didn't even seem to matter to her parents that she was a minor and was out drinking. They were too busy enjoying the fruits of her child labor to care. And now all of a sudden, they wanted to know about every single detail of her life. It was infuriating.

"She probably wanted to go over this week's glee assignment." Quinn honestly didn't know why she called, but suddenly, getting to school was the most important thing right now. She had to know. Before she could storm out, her mother threw another question her way.

"Well, what about that Finn boy? He called you, too. You should call him back and see what he wants."

Quinn looked down at her phone. Sure enough, there were two missed calls. One from Rachel and one from Finn.

"I'll see him at school." She grabbed her bag and took a few more steps toward the door.

"Also, your agent called."

That caught her attention and she turned around. "And?"

"They've decided to officially push the release back to May. They want to make it a summer movie."

Quinn's face fell. Her last hope of getting back to LA before the end of the year was severed.

"What about reshoots?"

"They don't need any. Press tour starts in April. Release is May 15th." Her mother said it so matter-of-factly, like she didn't know that each word was breaking Quinn's heart.

Defeated, she nodded and walked out the door.

* * *

Quinn only saw Rachel once before glee. It was while she was walking to the cafeteria for lunch. She spotted Santana first and half-heartedly waved at her. After whispering something to Rachel in front of her locker, Santana then pulled her into the nearest janitor's closet and closed the door. It all happened within a span of ten seconds. Quinn stopped in the middle of the hallway after witnessing it. Her legs were no longer taking requests and she was stuck, unsure of where to go. Her hunger had subsided and a nauseating feeling had taken over. What exactly was going on with those two? It seemed like they didn't even really like each other and now suddenly they can't keep their hands off each other? And what did this mean for Rachel? Was she…gay? Had she actually enjoyed that kiss they shared together? Had Quinn inadvertently started something for Rachel Berry, sending her on a mission of exploration and debauchery with Santana?

It was too much for her to think about and the moment her legs started working again, she ran to the bathroom and hid in the corner stall, unseen by the rest of the world. It was pathetic, really. If her friends could see her now: Quinn Fabray, spending her lunch time hiding in the bathroom like some bullied band geek. Or were band geeks not bullied here? Maybe just actresses were.

* * *

Glee was held in the auditorium again and it came and went in the natural fashion. She took her seat next to Finn, but made sure she was in Rachel's line of sight. As different people performed, she occasionally looked back to see Rachel and Santana playfully tease each other. Then, she watched Brittany and wondered how she felt about all this. Finn had told her it was the worst kept secret in Glee that Brittany and Santana were an item. Brittany seemed occupied with the strings on her hoodie, trying to untie the knot on the left one. She looked up at Quinn and smiled.

"I wonder whose job it is to tie these knots. Must be a former Girl Scout or something because they're really good. I've been working on this one for days."

Quinn smiled and Brittany blissfully went back to picking at the knotted string, ignoring the display going on behind her. Quinn wished she was able to turn a blind eye like Brittany did. And she wished she knew why seeing Rachel and Santana flirt like that bothered her so much. It didn't make any sense to her. _They_ didn't make any sense. She viewed Rachel as the embodiment of innocence, but perhaps there was more to her than she thought.

Once Glee Club was over and everybody cleared out, Quinn stayed seated in the second row. She waved Finn off when he asked if she was coming and once the place was empty, she walked up to the stage, past the curtain and toward the left wing. It was relatively empty with the exception of a few boxes of supplies marked "Cheerios," some random chairs and a few music stands. She took a seat in one of the chairs, rested her elbows on her knees and lowered her head. It was dead silent. Normally, she couldn't handle sitting in silence for too long, but this was needed. Thoughts and images of Rachel swirled around in her head and she needed to expel them immediately. Meditation might just be the only way to cope.

That wasn't going to happen today, though. She heard very distinct footsteps coming up the stairs and onto the stage. Quinn lifted her head and saw Rachel peeking through the curtains.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"I thought you might be here." Rachel slowly stepped toward her. "Mind if I join you?"

Quinn stood up. "I was just leaving, actually."

"Oh." There was a hint of disappointment on Rachel's face.

"You called me last night?" Quinn needed to see the brunette's facial expression change.

"Yeah. I hope that's okay. I just wanted to say hi." Rachel took a few steps forward. "You know…a friendly phone call."

The emphasis was on the word "friendly" and it did not go unnoticed by Quinn.

"Sorry. I didn't hear my phone. And I went to bed pretty early." Quinn felt more trapped the closer Rachel came. There was an exit door to her left, but knowing her luck, it was probably locked.

"And here I thought you were ignoring me," joked Rachel.

Quinn smiled. "No, I wasn't ignoring you." That would be impossible, wouldn't it? Because no matter how hard she tried, Quinn could not get Rachel Berry out of her head.

"So…do you think you'll ever actually try a solo in Glee?" Rachel rested her hand on the back of one of the chairs, stopping herself from walking any closer to Quinn.

Quinn took it as a sign. She would have to cover the distance if she wanted to be any closer to her. One step at a time was the best she could do.

"I will eventually. I think I just need to find my groove." She took another step closer.

"You have an amazing voice. You know that," assured Rachel, her eyes peering out from her long, brunette locks.

Quinn bit her lip and took another step closer. The only thing separating them now was the chair Rachel was standing behind. For some reason, Quinn's breath wavered. Her stomach twisted and turned like she was on a rollercoaster. How was it possible that just breathing the same air as Rachel could have this effect on her? She reached her hand out, grabbed the chair and moved it out of their way. Now there was nothing between them but a few inches of air.

"I promise I'll answer my phone the next time you call."

Rachel looked up at her and nodded. She took a small step back and shyly stuck her hands into her pockets. Was this closeness making her uncomfortable? Quinn decided to test it by taking another step toward her. Rachel leaned back slightly and looked around at anything but Quinn.

"How are things with Santana?"

That grabbed her attention. Rachel looked back at Quinn at the sound of Santana's name. Quinn didn't really want to know the answer, but she wanted to keep the conversation going.

"Oh…she's good. Really good."

Rachel smiled on the 'really good' part, leaving Quinn to ultimately think of them hooking up. It wasn't a fun thought for her and she refused to delve into why it bothered her so much. She had resolved to keep Rachel as on-the-surface as possible. Yes, they were supposedly friends now, but the more she thought about her, the less she wanted to know about her personal life. Especially with Santana. The further she delved into anything, the further away from reality she felt. She was already in a strange place with strange people. Quinn hadn't really been herself in years. She had been too busy taking on the personality of each character she played to really allow herself to just be her and to think about what that meant. With Rachel, she felt like it was actually okay to be herself, and that terrified her. There was only one other person who made her feel that way and that ended in disaster.

Being in such close proximity to Rachel, Quinn suddenly felt claustrophobic. She took a few deep breaths and a couple steps back.

"Are you okay?" Rachel followed her.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I just need a minute." She felt like she was going to faint and sat down in one of the chairs.

Rachel rushed toward her to help her into the seat, but Quinn immediately stood back up, suddenly regaining her strength.

"I'm fine. Really."

"You're sure?" Rachel had a grip on Quinn's arm.

"Yeah." Her head still felt light, but her breathing was back to normal. "I should probably get home."

"Okay."

They turned to go, but neither of them saw the box of supplies in front of them. They both tripped and fell over the box, spilling the contents everywhere. Quinn rolled to her left and avoided hitting her head, but felt a sharp pain in her arm. She realized her arm had broken Rachel's fall. She slowly rolled back over and slightly hovered over Rachel. The brunette's eyes were closed as if waiting for some other kind of disaster to happen.

"Hey," Quinn giggled. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just really, really embarrassed."

Quinn's arm was starting to feel the pressure of Rachel's weight, but she soldiered on without saying a word about it. With her other hand, she moved a few strands of hair out of Rachel's face.

"The worst is over. I promise. You can open your eyes now."

The moment Quinn was met with Rachel's brown eyes, her brain stopped working. She knew what she wanted to say next, but couldn't formulate a sentence. Her fingers traced Rachel's hair from her temple to behind her ear and kept repeating that motion as a way of soothing her. She could hear Rachel trying to catch her breath as her chest rose and fall with every pant. The adrenaline that shot through Quinn's body during the fall was now replaced by an entirely different euphoric feeling. She lingered just inches away from Rachel's face, searching for something. An invitation perhaps, to close her eyes and lean in even closer. Quinn licked her lips in anticipation, trying hard to hide her nervousness. Her eyes moved down and studied Rachel's lips, then moved back up to seek approval. But something felt off. Rachel's eyes were no longer focused on hers. They were looking past her, almost as if she wasn't even there. The weight on her arm had been lifted as Rachel rolled over and tried to get up as gracefully as possible.

Feeling deflated, Quinn lay there for a second, then got up and dusted off her jeans. The feeling in her arm was starting to come back, and all she could feel was pins and needles as she flexed and released her hand, trying to get the circulation back.

"Well, _that_ was unexpected," joked Rachel.

Quinn smiled as best she could.

"Hopefully we didn't do too much damage-"

Before Rachel could even finish her sentence, one of the cardboard confetti cannons from the box exploded. The boom echoed through the entire theater and it blasted confetti everywhere. Both girls jumped at the sound and covered their ears. Quinn and Rachel stared at each other in disbelief as thousands of bits of colored tissue paper fell all around them, landing on their heads, shoulders and Quinn could swear she felt a few pieces go down her shirt. Rachel broke first. Her smirk turned into a full-fledged laughing fit. Once she saw Rachel laughing, Quinn couldn't help but laugh along. Soon, they were both doubled over. Quinn's stomach muscles began to cramp from the laughter, but she didn't care. It really was quite a hysterical situation. And definitely the ultimate tension breaker.

"We should get out of here before someone sees us," suggested Quinn.

"Yeah," agreed Rachel. "I do not want to experience the wrath of Sue when she finds out who did this."

They took off running and tried their luck at the exit door in the back of the theater. They ended up out by the south parking lot where Quinn parked her car. Quinn squinted her eyes trying to adjust to the light.

"Where are you parked?" she asked with her hand over her eyes.

"I'm on the other side."

They walked over toward Quinn's car. With two beeps, the car doors unlocked.

"Hop in. I'll give you a ride."

"That's okay. I can walk."

Quinn cocked her head and looked at Rachel. Why was she being so resistant? She walked around to the passenger side and opened the door.

"It's the least I can do."

Rachel gave Quinn a side smile. "Well, if you insist."

They lingered in front of the passenger door for a moment. Quinn opened her mouth to speak, but something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. A man with a large camera exploded out of the bushes like a freaking Velociraptor.

"Quinn! Over here! Is this where you've been hiding?"

It took her a moment to realize what was actually happening. She hadn't been hounded by the paparazzi in months. Not since she left L.A. She had finally let her guard down and gotten used to the fact that no one was chasing her in Lima. But once the flashes and questions started, she quickly tried to assess and evade the situation.

"What the hell?" Quinn all but pushed Rachel into the passenger seat and closed the door immediately, trying to protect her from the blinding light.

"Quinn! What have you been doing this whole time? Is it true you're supposed to be in rehab?"

Quinn made her way around the car to the driver seat while shielding her face from the camera lens.

"No comment."

"Who's that in the car with you, Quinn?"

It was only one man, as opposed to a group of them, but he was relentless. And it was only a matter of time before word would get out. Soon, there would be more.

"No comment."

Quinn jumped in the car, turned the ignition and carefully pulled out the parking lot, trying not to take out the paparazzo that was crowding her car. She was out of breath and white as a ghost. Rachel sat quietly next to her.

"I'm so sorry about that," wheezed a breathless Quinn. "I had no idea he was there."

"It's okay," replied Rachel. "It just…startled me." She glanced over at Quinn's torso. "Can you please put on your seatbelt? You're doing 80."

Quinn blushed thinking about the fact that Rachel was actually concerned for her. She reached over and pulled the seatbelt over her shoulder and snapped it in place.

"Better?"

Rachel nodded. "So, does that happen to you a lot?"

"Yeah." Quinn's hands gripped the steering wheel as she eased her foot off the gas a bit. "Not here, but back at home it happened a lot. I have no idea how he found me."

Rachel shrugged. "I guess all it takes is one phone call to TMZ from some local trying to get a taste of fame."

"And here I thought everyone in Lima was wholesome and trustworthy." She flashed a smile over at Rachel. "Look, I don't think it's safe to go back to school just yet. Do you mind if we leave your car there? I can take you home and then pick you up for school tomorrow."

"Sounds like we don't really have any other option."

Quinn smiled and pushed further down on the gas pedal. The incidents over the past hour were the most exciting events she's experienced in a while. There was enough adrenaline pumping through her to last her for days.

* * *

Later that week, Quinn's strides were a little longer and there was an extra spring in her step walking through the halls of McKinley High. When she drove Rachel to school the morning after the paparazzi episode, things were a little less awkward than they had been. Perhaps the hilarity of the confetti cannon incident was what they needed to ease the tension between them. They had even exchanged a couple of friendly texts over the past few days. Regardless of how Rachel made her feel, she was glad to at least have a friend. Someone to text when her idle hands were driving her crazy.

She walked by Rachel's locker hoping to at least catch a glimpse of her before class. Sure enough, she was there applying lip gloss with her locker door open.

"Hey." Quinn coyly leaned against the locker next to Rachel's.

"Good morning," Rachel's smile was very noticeable.

"How was the rest of _Carousel_?" Quinn was referring to Rachel's last text the night before in which she revealed that she loved falling asleep to musicals. Last night's choice was _Carousel_ – a film Quinn had never seen.

"Tragically beautiful as always. I only cried once, though. Usually it's more, but I fell asleep before the end, so it saved me from shedding more tears."

"Well that explains the radio silence after my last text."

"Yeah, sorry." Rachel closed her locker and started walking with Quinn. Their forward trajectory was interrupted by a lively young Latina who bounded over to them and practically knocked Rachel over with a rather aggressive hug.

"Hey you. I missed you this morning." Santana ran her hands down the length of Rachel's arms and leaned into her seductively. It was a move that made Quinn sick to her stomach, yet somehow she couldn't look away. It was like a car accident. She was ashamed for looking, but was way too intrigued not to.

Santana pulled away from Rachel, but kept her arm around her shoulder.

"Sorry I fell asleep so early. You wore me out," Santana informed Rachel, obviously not caring that she had an audience.

Confusion and panic took hold of Quinn and she looked at Rachel questioningly. Was Santana there last night? While they were texting each other? Of course, why would it matter? They're obviously dating, or hooking up, or whatever they want to call it. Why should she care what Rachel does on her own time?

"She was over at your house last night?" Quinn tried to sound as nonchalant as possible while posing the question to Rachel.

"Oh yeah. We had ourselves a little sleepover." Santana took it upon herself to answer the question. "Popped in a little _Carousel_ to wind down."

It was in that moment where fury, pain, frustration and disappointment formed together to create a perfect storm of emotion inside of Quinn. Santana had stayed the night at Rachel's. And she was texting her like an idiot. Sure, they were friends now, so why wouldn't she text her? But the least Rachel could have done was tell her she had company.

Rachel protested. "Uh…no, it really wasn't like th-"

"Rachel, don't you have to get to class?" Santana cut her off before Rachel could continue.

"Um…yeah. Okay. I'll see you guys later. Bye, Quinn."

When Rachel headed off to her next class, Quinn pursed her lips, trying to avoid eye contact with Santana. She turned and walked away, but Santana ran to catch up with her.

"You like her."

Quinn stopped and turned to the Cheerio. She really wasn't in the mood to engage. "She's very sweet."

"Yeah, yeah, sweet as fucking pie and all that good stuff. But what I mean is, you want her."

"What?" Quinn threw her head back incredulously.

"You want her. I see the way you look at her."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Quinn started walking again with Santana keeping her pace at her side.

"Oh no? You do know that as a newly gay lady, I have a sixth sense about these things, don't you?"

"I'm not gay," replied a defiant Quinn.

"Oh, of course not. I suppose you're right. Hot, sexy, famous Quinn Fabray likes girls? Couldn't be. That would just be too damaging to her reputation."

Quinn felt her shoulders tense. "Santana, please stop talking."

"You know you want her. Would it kill you to admit it?"

Quinn stopped in her tracks once more. She fought every impulse to vocalize her internal words: 'I think it might.' A lump began to form in her throat. She needed to be somewhere else right now. Not in the middle of a hallway and not in the middle of this conversation with Santana Lopez.

"Too bad," continued Santana. "You missed out. We're very happy together." Just before walking away, she leaned in for the kill and whispered to Quinn, "Plus, she's a great lay."

Quinn watched as Santana disappeared into the classroom. She could feel the rage and turmoil building up inside her. Why would Santana share that piece of information with her? Was that really necessary? Why was she rubbing her relationship with Rachel in her face? Quinn needed a release. She could feel her wrath overflowing. Or maybe it wasn't wrath. Could it possibly be jealousy? Either way, it was about to explode. Quinn found herself pounding her fists against a locker as an infuriated grunt escaped her lips. Her heart jumped at the sound. She even scared herself in this moment and now her hands were aching. Skin and bone on metal wasn't a fun combination.

Quinn Fabray was obviously someone with a lot of passion and a lot of rage. Sometimes those lines would tend to blur.


	9. Youre the Piece ofMe I Wish I Didnt Need

**A/N: I just wanted to give a special to shout out to my beta reader, AlliEquality. She's pretty amazing and she's got a great Brittana fic called "Like Never Before," so be sure to check it out.**

* * *

Vulnerability was Quinn's sworn enemy. It always had been. She made it a point to be in complete control of her life, her emotions and her body at all times. Sure, she wavered once or twice in the past, but never like this. This was something she was not used to. Lately, Quinn awoke each day questioning everything around her – right down to her own existence. Rachel Berry was completely unraveling her without even really trying. The brunette was reaching down deep inside and pulling her apart with every touch, every whisper, every laugh because none of them were meant for her. They were all directed toward Santana. In the halls, at lunch, during glee club. They were inseparable and it was slowly breaking Quinn down.

Why wasn't Rachel looking over at her as much as she used to? Even when Quinn would cozy up to Finn as much as she could, Rachel would barely cast a glance in her direction. Quinn spent a lot of time during glee watching Rachel, studying her body language and hoping for any sign that she at least feigned the slightest interest in what she was doing.

Her normally stoic demeanor had changed and she was becoming drastically more frustrated with each passing day. Sure, she and Rachel would share a few fleeting looks and pleasant hallway conversations. The friendly texts even continued, but it just felt off because for Quinn, it was never enough.

To make matters worse, her patience with Finn was starting to wear thin. While he seemed very sweet and did his best to impress her with whatever clever joke he had or with his moves on the football field, her genuine lack of interest in him was becoming difficult to hide. She was usually pretty good at faking it when someone hung around her that she really didn't care for. And she went the extra mile with Finn because she wanted to try and fit in as much as she could, but trying to carry on a conversation with him was exhausting. And boring. She supposed she should feel bad for trying to use him in order to survive life in high school, but after revealing to her what happened between him and Rachel, she started to become a bit resentful toward him. What right did he have to share such private information about Rachel, anyway? And maybe if he hadn't told her, Quinn wouldn't have used it as ammo against Rachel during one of her manic, freak out episodes. That was her fault, really. She couldn't blame Finn for that one, but still, he shouldn't have said anything.

But she stuck with him anyway. It felt safe and normal enough. He had kissed her twice. The first one was incredibly sloppy and caught her completely off guard. The second one was ruined by the fact that he mumbled something about always wanting to make out with a celebrity. She should have been angry. She should have stopped seeing him then and there, but she felt too indifferent to care.

All that apathy towards Finn somehow led her here. She really didn't know how she ended up in this position. It was one of those nights where thoughts of Rachel Berry refused to leave her head. She had no idea how or why this demure girl was occupying every brain cell she had. What was so special about her and why did it have the effect on Quinn? It was driving her crazy, so she called up Finn and asked if she could come over for a bit and maybe watch a movie. She knew she should have just tried to force herself to fall asleep instead because leading him on like this was really not okay. But she felt confused and alone and wanted to be around someone who wanted her. Her therapist back in LA always warned her to watch for signs of codependency, which ran rampant among young starlets in Hollywood. And Quinn was always careful. But loneliness was a tricky thing. Coupling it with very confusing and conflicting feelings was an easy way of asking for trouble. Quinn found herself in that kind of trouble earlier this year. And that was the catalyst for her unplanned sabbatical.

What the hell was she doing here? The credits to _Roadhouse_ were rolling on Finn's 19-inch TV as she looked over at him passed out next to her on his bed. He had tried several times throughout the night to initiate some form of physical contact, but Quinn managed to rebuff his advances. So now she was leaning uncomfortably against his headboard, listening to him snore and wondering how she can get up and leave without waking him up. She slid silently and carefully off the bed and turned around to cover him with his blanket. Before walking out, she noticed a photo on his desk covered by a pile of books and papers. She quietly pulled it out and saw that it was a picture of Finn and Rachel performing together on stage. He was facing her while she was facing out to the audience. Her eyes were full of passion and excitement. It made Quinn wonder what song she was singing that made her light up like that. Quinn smiled at the photo, put it back where she found it and walked out the door.

* * *

Quinn was never really the nervous type. She had once been described in a Vanity Fair profile as having ice water in her veins and a steel-plated heart, only allowing it to melt when she was filming an emotional scene. No one had ever doubted how talented an actress she truly was, but as a person, she was hard to get to know. Sure, she kept her emotions right on the surface whenever she was in front of a camera, but she knew how to keep those emotions in check when she returned to being herself. Perhaps that's why this thing with Rachel was so disconcerting for her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shut it off or drown it out. It was too loud and too real and as a result, it was all too scary.

It was a Wednesday. Only two days left until the holiday break. Quinn was feeling frantic as she paced back and forth in the girls bathroom, waiting for the door to open. Thirty seconds earlier, she had walked past Rachel, who carrying on some sort of conversation with Santana. She tried to hear what they were saying, but their voices lowered as she approached them. She didn't stop, she didn't talk to them, but she _did_ make eye contact with Rachel and gestured to the bathroom. She only hoped her message was clear enough and Rachel could pry herself away from Santana for a moment. She wasn't sure exactly what she was going to say, but she knew something had to be done. Words had to be said. Lines had to either be drawn or crossed. But none of that could happen until Rachel walked through the door.

She felt a breeze against her neck and turned around to see Rachel walk in. Her lips curled up against her will and she was unable to hide her instantaneous smile. Rachel stood there looking quizzically at her. Quinn had a hard time putting words together. She was too busy eyeing Rachel in her v-neck sweater and black skirt with black tights. The heels Rachel was wearing gave her some added height and she didn't feel as tall around her as she normally does.

"Did you want to talk to me about something?" Rachel asked as she stepped further into the bathroom.

"Yeah." Quinn nodded. Her voice, though a bit feeble and quiet, echoed through the room.

"What's up?"

What exactly was Quinn supposed to say? Why did she even bring her in here? This was not planned out very well. Normally, she had a script in front of her – words on a page that were given to her by someone who knew more about life and love than she did. But there were no scene descriptions, no action cues, no memorized lines. It was just her. Quinn could feel her palms sweating. This was not normal. Her palms don't sweat. Ever. This was a completely brand new occurrence and she didn't like it one bit. Seriously, what the hell was so special about Rachel Berry that made her palms sweat like this?

"I…um…" Words, Fabray. Use your 'big girl' words. "H…how are you?"

Rachel gave her perplexed smile. "I'm okay."

Quinn took a few steps toward Rachel.

"Just okay?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"You guess," repeated Quinn. "How are things with Santana?"

Rachel sighed. "Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?"

Quinn shook her head. "No. Not really." She continued closing the gap between her and Rachel. Her eyes were looking everywhere but Rachel's face. Why was it so hard to look at her?

"Are you okay, Quinn?"

Quinn chose a focal point. It just so happened to be Rachel's neck. She stared at the exposed skin and followed the line of her v-neck down to her chest. She stopped breathing altogether at this point. She took a step back and managed to fill her lungs with air once more. Her hands were shaking and her stomach felt queasy. But the good kind of queasy. The kind where your body knew something was going to happen before your brain can even register it.

"Quinn-"

"Please. Don't say anything. I…I need to just…" Quinn didn't know how it happened, but somehow she found herself grabbing Rachel by the arms and pushing her up against the sink. She leaned in and lingered for a moment, trying to grasp the gravity of the situation. She was close enough to know that every exhale of her breath was warming Rachel's face.

Rachel winced briefly from her backside hitting the sink. Quinn memorized that look, along with the look that came next. A look of bewilderment and wonderment. She watched Rachel's eyes, wondering how it was possible that two brown eyes burning back into hers could have the power to shake her to her very core. She was petrified by what was happening, but also intrigued by the fact that Rachel wasn't fighting it.

Quinn wanted her. There was no denying it anymore. She leaned in closer, brushing her lips against Rachel's cheek, moving them slowly to her ear.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Quinn whispered, her voice a shaky mess. With every breath she drew, she watched a few strands of the Rachel's hair move back and forth. Quinn closed her eyes and took a giant leap of faith. "Why can't I stop thinking about you?"

There was no answer, but she felt the muscles in Rachel's arms tense up.

Quinn opened her eyes and grazed her lips along Rachel's cheek, gradually guiding them to Rachel's mouth. She didn't wait for a signal or for approval. She was tired of waiting. This was something she'd wanted to do since the first time they kissed and every day after that. Quinn loosened her grasp on Rachel's arms and moved her left hand lower, wrapping her arm around the small of Rachel's back and pulling the other girl closer to her. Her entire body was aching, yet she found a certain amount of relief in feeling Rachel's body against hers. Her other hand came up and brushed the hair out of Rachel's face. Not another word was exchanged. Really, what more was there to say?

Quinn leaned in and captured Rachel's lips with her own. The sensation was something she had never experienced before. Not even the first time they kissed, which was pretty phenomenal, but this was something else…almost otherworldly. Rachel's lips were as soft and smooth as she remembered, but there was something more to them this time. They were almost swollen with anticipation, as if they were waiting for this as much as Quinn's lips were. And Rachel was kissing her back with a fervor that made her believe that maybe…just maybe…Rachel wanted this as much as she did.

Quinn moved her hand behind Rachel's neck as the kiss intensified. She wanted to touch everything – every part of Rachel's body. She trapped Rachel's bottom lip between her own and ran her tongue along it. A throaty breath escaped Rachel's mouth and Quinn took this opportunity to drink in more of her. She parted Rachel's mouth with her tongue, slipping it past her lips and running the tip of it across Rachel's tongue. The enraptured whimper from Rachel was enough to send shockwaves down Quinn's spine.

Everything felt amazing. She was high, almost euphoric. Her hands moved to the hem of Rachel's sweater, gripping it tightly as she pushed Rachel further against the sink. Her skin was on fire and her lips were aching for more. She deepened the kiss and moved her hands down over Rachel's ass and gripped her legs. With surprisingly little effort, she lifted Rachel up onto the sink and pushed her back into the mirror. Quinn's hands were now slowly, but eagerly moving up underneath Rachel's skirt. As much as she appreciated how cute tights looked on the girl, she found herself wishing she was touching bare skin. She moved her hands further up the skirt, exploring everything she possibly could. Rachel's body twitched as she touched certain spots and Quinn smiled to herself knowing she could extract that kind of reaction from her.

Quinn felt a jolt of pleasure when Rachel's legs came up and wrapped themselves around her, pulling her in closer.

Quinn repositioned her hands, moving them out from Rachel's skirt to underneath her sweater. Her fingers burned at the touch of Rachel's back, her smooth skin becoming Quinn's favorite new addiction. She trailed her fingers from Rachel's back to her abdomen, slightly lifting the brunette's shirt while doing so. She ran her hands over Rachel's abs and up around her waist. This elicited way more excitement from Quinn than she anticipated as her tongue continued dancing with Rachel's. She languidly pulled away and placed a line of soft kisses down Rachel's jaw line and then began to taste the flesh where her neck met her shoulder. She circled her tongue along her skin, then kissed the dampened area and softly grazed it with her teeth. Rachel threw her head back as the sound tiny moans filled up the room.

Quinn's hands took on a life of their own, exploring as much as they could while her tongue trailed back up to Rachel's lips, aching for more. Rachel obliged, but before they could go any further, Quinn heard a couple voices right outside the door. She pulled away just as the door opened, instinctively pulling Rachel down from the sink. She put a good five feet of space between them as two girls entered the bathroom. Neither of them seeming to take an interest in Quinn or Rachel, so it was safe to say they hadn't been caught. Quinn was trying to catch her breath as she noticed Rachel backing up toward the door.

"Rachel…"

Before she could stop her, Rachel was out the door.

"Shit." Quinn ran out after her.

"Rachel, stop! Please." She managed to catch up and cut her off.

Rachel abruptly stopped, but wouldn't look at Quinn.

Quinn was at a loss. "I'm sorry, okay? I…I thought you wanted to."

"And what happens tomorrow? You threaten me and make me feel like crap just because I enjoyed it? Or are we going to pretend this didn't happen, either?" Rachel's pained expression said it all. She still didn't trust Quinn.

"I won't do that, I swear. I don't even know why I did that the first time. It was a shitty thing to do. I admit that." Quinn looked at Rachel pleadingly. "I was scared. I…I didn't even really know you."

"You still don't," protested Rachel.

"But I'm starting to." Quinn bit her bottom lip. "I hope you know by now that I would never do that to you again. I just…I didn't want anyone to know."

Rachel nodded in understanding.

"Can we go somewhere and talk? Please?" Quinn's heart was pounding waiting for a response.

"I should go."

Quinn felt her entire body deflate with those three words.

"So that's it? You just want to be friends?"

Rachel thought for a moment. Quinn could swear she was weighing the options in her head.

"I…I need to go. We'll talk later, okay?" Rachel sidestepped her way around Quinn and disappeared down the hallway.

Quinn stood there wondering exactly what she had to do in order to earn Rachel's trust and perhaps even win her heart. After a kiss like that, she at least had to try. It was official. Quinn wanted Rachel. It took a while to actually admit it to herself, but she knew it was time to accept the truth. All these "confused" feelings she had were just a way of coping with something she was so unsure of. She was just fighting the inevitable. She now knew what she had to do and decided it would be best to bring in reinforcements.

* * *

Quinn scanned the faces of each Cheerio on the field until she found Brittany. The second practice was over, Quinn rushed the field to talk to her. She noticed Santana's hand rubbing Brittany's shoulder but the second Santana saw Quinn, she pulled her hand away, whispered something to Brittany and ran off the field without even acknowledging Quinn's presence. It seemed rather weird, but Quinn couldn't concern herself with that right now. She was on a mission.

"Hi Brittany."

"Oh, hi Quinn!" Brittany took a swig of water from her bottle and splashed a bit on her face.

Quinn looked around. "Isn't it a bit cold out to have practice on the field?"

"Ms. Sylvester says the cold is good for us. It adds character, or something like that. I couldn't really hear her. I think my eardrums froze over."

"Why don't you use earmuffs?"

"I tried that once, but Ms. Sylvester said the made my earlobes look chubby."

"She sounds like a peach." Quinn chuckled. "Anyway, I was wondering if I could get your help with something."

"Sure. What is it?" Brittany grabbed her bag and they started walking off the field together.

"I want to sing a song for glee club. Do you think you can help me with the harmonies?"

"You're gonna sing? What song?"

"Well, I have one in mind, but I wanted to get your opinion on it."

"Sure! When do you want to work on it?"

"What are you doing right now?" Quinn asked as she followed Brittany into the locker room.

"I'm free. Do you want to come to my house?"

"Yeah, that would be great. I really appreciate it." Quinn sat down on the bench in front of the lockers. "Are you sure you don't mind helping me? I mean, I know Santana isn't a huge fan of mine."

Brittany closed her locker and turned to face Quinn. "Well, Santana _did_ tell me you have a case of bitchface."

Quinn looked at her incredulously. "Do you think I do?"

Brittany shrugged. "Well, I don't know. It doesn't seem to be contagious. You seem really nice, so I guess I don't care if you have bitchface. I just hope they find a cure."

Quinn nodded, not really knowing if Brittany was serious or not. Based on past interactions with her, it wouldn't surprise Quinn that Brittany legitimately thought bitchface was an actual disease. She found it endearing and didn't have the heart to correct her.

"Also," continued Brittany, "You're really pretty and have nice skin and you smell like rainbows. So I'll totally help you. Just answer one question for me."

"Okay."

"Is this for Rachel?"

Quinn's face went blank. How on earth could Brittany possibly know this was for Rachel? Was she that obvious in her leering and pining? She felt trapped, like she couldn't breathe. It was one thing to finally admit all this to herself, but to admit it to a relative stranger was whole new level of enlightenment.

"Um…"

"It's okay," assured Brittany. "You don't have to answer that. I'll meet you at my place in half an hour."


	10. The Talking Leads to Touching

**A/N: I just want to say thank you for all the reviews. It helps fuel my creativity. Y'all are awesome. And another special shout out to my beta reader: AlliEquality. Thank you for kicking my ass. **

* * *

It was pretty much safe to say that by this point, Rachel didn't know what sleep was anymore. Her strongly regimented nightly and morning routines were now demolished. They no longer existed. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so out of control. For someone who was so Type A, it was hard to relinquish such control, but also hard to gain it back. She couldn't seem to get back on schedule no matter how hard she tried and, for the first time in her life, she felt oddly at peace with it.

It had been two days since Quinn kissed her in the bathroom. And she had felt Quinn on her lips every single second from that moment on. She relived the moment in her head over and over and couldn't figure out why she ran away after it happened. After finally admitting to herself, and to Santana, how attracted she was to Quinn, she couldn't make sense of why she freaked out. Especially after a kiss like that. It was one for the record books. Rachel had never been kissed like that before. It was by far the most erotic thing she had experience in her sixteen years. She just couldn't believe that Quinn Fabray was the one who did it to her. She loved every single moment of that kiss. She loved the feel of every touch, the sound of every moan, the caress of Quinn's tongue. It was all so perfect, but Rachel didn't know what any of it meant.

Yes, the kiss was amazing and intense and Rachel craved so much more from it, but the thought of acting like it never happened again petrified her. She didn't want to open herself up to that kind of verbal ass-kicking from Quinn yet again. Maybe they were just better off as friends. Friends who obviously find each other attractive. And make out. And touch each other. Yes. Friends. It would just be easier that way.

Besides, Rachel couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt about leading Quinn to believe she was with Santana. But she did have to hand it to the Cheerio: her plan worked. Maybe a little too well because now Rachel was more confused than ever. She needed to talk to someone. She needed her Yoda.

"Berry, you're being a jackass," Santana stated bluntly.

Thanks, Yoda.

"That was uncalled for," argued Rachel, as they walked side-by-side down the hall toward the choir room.

"Don't care. It's completely true. I don't know what you're complaining about. You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

"I guess."

"Did you or did you not text me that Quinn gave you the greatest kiss of your life? And in the bathroom of all places. Damn, that girl is fifty shades of kinky."

Frustrated, Rachel sighed. "Yeah, but…what if she didn't actually _want_ to kiss me? What if this whole attraction thing is in my head?"

Santana stopped and stared at her, dumbfounded. "That is, by far, the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say. And that's saying something. Are you telling me she just slipped and fell onto your lips? Did she tongue you at gunpoint, too, or something?"

"No." Rachel realized just how ridiculous she sounded. Because the fact is, Quinn _did_ kiss her and Quinn _did _run after her when Rachel ran out of the bathroom. That wasn't something she imagined.

"So go for it. What are you waiting for?" asked Santana.

Rachel searched the ground. Maybe her answer was somewhere along the tiled corridor.

"I don't know. She's so…unpredictable."

Santana smirked. "Sometimes those are the best kinds of people."

Rachel nodded and thought for a moment. "I think we should just stop this whole fake relationship thing."

"I agree. I mean, you pretty much got what you wanted out of it, didn't you? Besides, I miss getting my cuddle on with Brittany during glee."

Rachel coyly looked away from Santana. In all this mess, she almost forgot what a sacrifice both Brittany and Santana made for her.

"Thank you, Santana. I really do appreciate everything you've done. I'm sure it wasn't easy. I know I'm not your favorite person."

"Well, to be honest, hanging out with you these past couple weeks wasn't the worst thing in the world," she admitted reluctantly.

"Is that so?"

"Whatever, Berry. If you repeat that to anyone, you know I'll deny it."

Rachel smiled knowing full well Santana was telling the truth. "So…I guess this is our breakup?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Should I slap you or something?"

"I'm sure you've wanted to do that many times, but let's just end it with a hearty handshake and a 'see ya later.'" Santana stuck her hand out to Rachel and they shook. "I do still think you're making a huge mistake by not going for it. It's the last day of class. What if you don't see her again during the next three weeks? Or ever again?"

"Why wouldn't I see her again?"

"I don't know. What if she gets called to do this once in a lifetime movie with lasers and dinosaurs and car chases and dance battles and aliens?"

Rachel stared blankly at her. "That sounds like the worst movie ever."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, Berry. We really don't have _anything_ in common do we? It would have never lasted."

Rachel shrugged. "We both have a weakness for hot blonde girls."

"An excellent point. Let's go find them, shall we?"

For the first time in weeks, time they walked into the choir room without holding hands. Santana excitedly darted over to Brittany and sat down next to her while Rachel scanned the room for Quinn. She was taken aback when she spotted Quinn sitting on a stool in the middle of the room. Rachel's eyes never left her as she took a seat next to Santana in the front row.

Once everyone took their seats, Quinn nodded over to Brittany who stood up, grabbed another stool and took a seat next to her.

Rachel looked at Santana questioningly. Santana only shrugged.

Quinn took a deep breath.

"Hi everybody. I asked Mr. Schue if I could perform first today. I figured if I waited until the end, I might lose my nerve."

Rachel's confusion only escalated with that statement, but she found herself hanging on to every word Quinn was saying.

"I asked Brittany to help me out with the harmonies," Quinn continued. "I just wanted to thank you all. You made me feel really welcomed here. I had no idea what to expect. I miss home so much, but you've helped me to miss it a little less."

She looked right at Rachel during that statement. Rachel knew. She wasn't talking to the glee club. She was talking to her.

"You've done a lot for me to make me feel at home." Quinn's eyes were still on Rachel. "I figured it's time I did something in return. It's time for me to be brave."

Rachel hear Quinn's voice tremor. She was scared. Rachel wanted to jump up and yell 'No! It's okay. You don't have to do this!' But she didn't. All she could do was watch because she was completely mesmerized.

The music started and Quinn looked down, waiting for her cue. The moment she began singing, Rachel's heart stilled when Quinn looked up and locked eyes on her.

**_"I feel so helpless now, my guitar is not around_**

**_And I'm struggling with the xylophone to make these feelings sound,_**

**_And I'm remembering you singing and bringing you to life,_**

**_It's raining out the window and today it looks like night._**

**_You haven't written to me in a week, I wonder why that is,_**

**_Are you too nervous to be lovers? Friendship's through with just one kiss,_**

**_I watched you very closely I saw you look away_**

**_Your eyes are either gray or blue, I'm never close enough to say."_**

Rachel swallowed hard as Quinn's eyes bore into her with an intensity pierced through her soul. Quinn was reaching out the best way she knew how. She was reaching out in a way she knew Rachel could understand. What better way to get through to her than with? It's exactly what Rachel would have done. In fact, she _had_ done it. If there's one thing Rachel knew for sure about Quinn Fabray, it's that she knew exactly how to grab a hold of her heart. She had done it since the first day they met when Rachel stumbled into the bathroom. Without speaking a word, Quinn found a way inside of Rachel with one look.

Rachel continued to watch Quinn, transfixed on every word she sang and every move she made.

Santana leaned over to Rachel. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say she's singing this to you."

Rachel's mouth was wide open, yet she was speechless. All she could do was nod.

"You're welcome, by the way," whispered Santana, as she nudged her.

Rachel took this opportunity to look Quinn up and down. She was gorgeous. Rachel had known that from the beginning, but seeing her up there actually singing ignited something within her. And Quinn, apparently, knew exactly how to stoke the flames.

"**_But your sweatshirt says it all with the hood over your face,_**

**_I can't keep staring at your mouth without wondering how it tastes,_**

**_I'm with another boy; he's asleep, I'm wide awake_**

**_And he's trying to win my heart, but it's taking time._**

**_I know the shape of your hands because I watch them when you talk _**

**_And I know the shape of your body because I watch you when you walk,_**

**_And I want to know it all but I'm giving you the lead_**

**_So go on, go on and take it, don't fake it."_**

Rachel took in every word. Every note. Every breath. Every single lyric. There was not a doubt in her mind. Quinn was singing to her and only her. She was equal parts exhilarated, awestruck and embarrassed. Is this how Quinn felt when Rachel sang to her in front of everyone? No wonder, she freaked out. Could anyone else tell that the song was directed at her? She was way too enthralled with Quinn to bother looking around to find out. Besides, she didn't think Quinn would give herself away that easily. She had too much at stake. This was most likely a clandestine moment between just the two of them…and two helpful Cheerios. To everyone else in the glee club, it was just a song. Granted, it was sung by Vanity Fair's most recent "Young Hollywood" issue cover girl, but other than that, it was nothing out of the ordinary for the other glee members.

Rachel held Quinn's gaze, their eyes smoldering. The corners of Rachel's mouth turned up as she tried to stifle a smirk. Her heart was pounding with each new lyric. Music had always been her number one passion in life, but somehow in this very moment, Quinn managed to make her see it in a whole new light. Something had felt off for the past six months or so. What was once her passion and life's goal had turned into a somewhat forced hobby. What she used to live and breathe for had become a chore. But right here, right now, sitting in this chair in the choir room where she, herself, had poured her heart and soul into solo after solo, Rachel found her passion again. It was right in front of her, singing to her, bringing music back into her heart. Her heart danced along with the rhythm of the song.

Rachel looked over at Santana, who was beaming with pride as Brittany chimed in on the bridge.

**_"Charming, crazy eyes have you. Are they gray or blue? _**

**_I won't make the move, you must make the move,_**

**_If you make the move, I will then approve, _**

**_If you do not move, we will surely lose."_**

Oh my God. Every word spoke to her. Quinn's not-so-subtle message was coming through loud and clear. Rachel asked herself if it would be in poor taste to run up and take her in her arms right then and there. Yes, yes it probably would. Just wait it out, Berry. For once in your life, be patient. Let her sing to you.

Rachel gripped her chair tightly. It was the only thing that kept her restless legs from standing up and charging full force at the blonde. Her legs twitched, her feet shuffled and her body ached with anticipation, wanting so badly to hold her; to make the first move.

Quinn only broke away from Rachel's eyes once. She looked back and forth between Rachel and Santana, then came back to focus on Rachel. And that's where they would remain. Quinn's pure and rapturous voice was now singing with more intensity and purpose than before. She refused to take her eyes away from Rachel. And Rachel would die if she did.

Quinn's voice blended flawlessly with Brittany's harmonies.

**_"Don't second guess your feelings, you were right from the start, _**

**_And I know that she's your lover, but she's nowhere near your heart,_**

**_This city is for strangers, like the sky is for the stars_**

**_But I think it's very dangerous if we do not take what's ours._**

**_And I'm winning you with words because I have no other way, _**

**_I want to look into your face without your eyes turning away,_**

**_Last night I watched you sing because a person has to try,_**

**_And I walked home in the rain because a person cannot lie."_**

The music ended. Blood rushed to Rachel's ears. There was about four seconds of silence before everyone began applauding, but Rachel didn't hear any of it. She was too fascinated by the smile that lit up Quinn's face. She was stunning, absolutely beautiful. Rachel began excitedly clapping as she bit her lip to try and contain her smile. The room erupted with more applause and cheers before it died down. Quinn mouthed 'thank you to Brittany.' Brittany then took a bow and Quinn quietly sat down next to Rachel.

Rachel looked over at Quinn, willing her to look back at her. She didn't. But the resolute smile on her face said it all. And Rachel beamed. She never thought she'd ask this in her entire life, but can glee club be over now? She had things she needed to tend to.

Quinn still wouldn't look at her, but Rachel could sense she knew she was staring. She watched as Quinn slowly moved her seat closer. It wasn't long until their arms were conveniently touching. Rachel watched Quinn's face appear as blasé as possible while she moved in even closer. But there was a lightness in her eyes. And a hint of that smile was still there. Quinn knew exactly what she was doing. Perhaps she needed the physical contact just as much as Rachel. It felt amazing, but it wasn't enough. Sadly, it would have to do for now.

Rachel gave up on Quinn looking back at her, so she faced forward and looked at the clock. There was still another forty minutes left of glee. And then winter break would begin. And then, all though she didn't know it, Rachel's life would begin.

* * *

Rachel couldn't breathe. Not that she was complaining, but air was something she had grown accustomed to over the course of her life, so it was a necessity to fill her mouth and lungs with something other than the taste of Quinn's lips. She pulled away briefly in inhaled some oxygen before she passed out. Quinn was relentless. She only gave her five seconds of reprieve before her lips were back on Rachel's. The brunette's head was growing dizzy, but in the most beautiful way possible. Everything was heightened around her. Colors were brighter. Sounds were deafening. Smells were more fragrant, particularly the scent of the girl on top of her. Rachel couldn't quite place it. It was a cross between lavender and cedar. And it was intoxicating.

She wasn't sure exactly how she got to this point. After glee, Quinn asked if she could come over. Of course, Rachel said yes. They came up the stairs, closed the bedroom door, stood in silence for a moment, and that's when Rachel boldly made her move. Apparently, that was all Quinn needed to bring them to this point. Even though she was on the bed with Quinn hovering over her kissing every single inch of her lips, it was still a seemingly innocent enough scene. The only articles of clothing that had come off were their shoes. Rachel abhorred anyone being on her bed wearing shoes.

She panted heavily as Quinn explored the depths of her mouth, slowly dipping her tongue in every time Rachel's lips parted. Rachel could feel Quinn's hand burn up the side of her torso, up through her hair and back down to her cheek. The friction of Quinn's jeans against her inner thigh was almost too much for Rachel and she let out a whimper with every shift of Quinn's body. She couldn't believe how overwhelming it felt to have Quinn Fabray on top of her, pressing their bodies against each other. Rachel reached up her hand and caught a few tendrils of Quinn's hair. Her hand was shaking. Partly from nerves, but also because there were so many things she wanted to touch. But Quinn was keeping it PG, so Rachel had no choice but to try and do the same. She moved her hand down to the middle of Quinn's back and pulled her in closer. She could feel Quinn's mouth smile against her own.

Rachel was burning. Beads of sweat were forming at her temples and matting her hair. She could swear she saw steam rising from the friction between them. Suddenly, her clothes were too stifling. She wanted everything off. Not just to cool her body down, but also to let Quinn study every inch of her skin. Preferably with her tongue. She was starting to get that dizzy, about-to-pass-out feeling again. She needed air once more and gently broke away, planting kisses on Quinn's cheek while breathing in the much-needed fresh air. But it was short-lived because Quinn remained insatiable, pushing her tongue back into Rachel's mouth, more forcefully this time. It was as if she was proving a point, telling Rachel if she pulled away again, there would be consequences. So Rachel met Quinn's greedy tongue with her own, assuaging the blonde's wanton need for more contact.

Every time Quinn made the slightest shift in her legs, Rachel could feel it throughout her entire body. She felt the heat radiating between her legs and the second Quinn's thigh made contact once more, she could feel the wetness pooling in her center. How it is possible that Quinn was doing this to her? All they were doing was making out. Granted, there was a little bit of grinding in the mix, but she couldn't believe it was enough to make Rachel ache for relief. She flashbacked to the night she got herself off while thinking about Quinn on top of her and wondered if she'd have to do that again tonight. Because she knew this eventually had to stop. It was too much. It was all happening too fast.

Quinn's tongue traced along Rachel's top lip as she strategically moved her thigh between Rachel's one more time. The brunette felt like her insides were going to explode. She arched her head back and moaned loudly at the contact. Rachel tried to compose herself, but before she could regain any control over her body, Quinn rubbed her thigh against her once more.

"Oh my God." Rachel closed her eyes and breathed heavily. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by a smiling Quinn, obviously please with elicit that reaction.

Before Rachel had time to say anything else, Quinn's mouth was back on hers. This went on for quite a bit longer. It felt like hours. Days, even. Rachel completely lost track of the time. She was too busy feeling Quinn above her. Too busy writhing below her. Too busy using her mouth for something besides singing. This was by far the longest and steamiest make out session she had ever experienced.

Rachel didn't know if it was the way Quinn was making her feel, if it was the fact that she was half-delirious by this point, or the fact that she felt so emotionally raw, but she suddenly had the need to be honest.

"I think…you should probably…know," Rachel muttered between kisses. "Santana and I…we…mmm…we were never together."

She braced herself for the worst. As much as she wanted to keep feeling Quinn against her body, she knew the guilt of her lie would eventually eat away at her. Better to rip off the bandage.

Quinn's kisses didn't even slow down.

"I know."

Rachel tried to focus on the conversation, but it was difficult with Quinn's breath so close against her ear.

"What?" wheezed Rachel.

"I know you're not really with Santana." Quinn spoke as she moved her lips down to Rachel's collarbone. "I kinda figured it out. She and Britt were texting each other the entire time we were rehearsing." She nipped at the skin above Rachel's collarbone. "I asked her about it. She didn't say anything, but her face said it all." She nipped again. This time it was harder.

Rachel winced. Was she being chastised for her lie?

"I'm sorry. I really am." Her voice was faint. It was hard to talk normally with Quinn discovering new places to make her squirm.

"Are you?" Quinn ran her teeth along the sensitive spot where Rachel's neck me her shoulder and bit down.

Rachel hissed. "Yes. Yes, I'm so sorry."

Quinn moved her hand along Rachel's arm, grabbed her wrist and brought it above her head against the headboard. Rachel could feel the blonde's grip squeeze tighter. She had no idea what was about to happen, but Quinn finally took a break from attacking Rachel with her lips to look at her. She went up on her knees, straddling the brunette and continued staring her down.

Rachel swallowed hard, trying to get a read on how Quinn was feeling.

"You're really sorry?" Quinn grasped her wrist even tighter.

Rachel nodded emphatically. "Please don't be mad."

Quinn loosened her grip, rested her hands on each side of Rachel's shoulders, and leaned down toward her.

"I wanted to be angry. I should be pissed, but the truth is, I was too relieved to care about being upset." Quinn looked Rachel up and down and gave her a little side-smile. "Besides, after the way I treated you, I suppose I deserved it."

Rachel swallowed her relief and shook her head. "No one deserves being lied to like that."

Quinn leaned down closer. "No one deserves being punished for me kissing them. So maybe we call it even?" She captured Rachel's lips once more.

Rachel's breath shuddered. "Believe me, that kiss was worth the punishment."

They continued their assault on each other's lips. Then, at some point while Quinn was tasting the sensitive flesh of her neck, Rachel looked out the window and realized it was completely dark out.

"Whoa," she panted as she shook away from Quinn.

"What?" asked Quinn with a disappointed look on her face.

Rachel motioned to the window. "It's dark out."

Quinn looked over at the window. "Oh yeah, look at that."

As hard as it was for her to do, Rachel wriggled her way out from underneath Quinn and sat up. She felt a massive head rush.

"I think I need some water." She grabbed the bottle on her nightstand, took a swig and offered some to Quinn.

"Thanks." She took a drink and put the lid back on.

Silence surrounded them as Rachel caught her breath. She leaned up against her headboard as Quinn sat at the edge of the bed with her feet dangling off.

"Break time over?" asked Quinn.

Rachel couldn't believe how quickly the other girl was ready to get back into. She couldn't help but smile

"I need a minute. Or several."

Quinn nodded. And then, more silence. Being one who never knew when to shut her mouth, Rachel needed to fill the void with something. She chose a question she instantly regretted.

"What exactly are we doing?" She cursed her brain for allowing that question to escape her mouth.

"I thought we were kissing." Quinn casually ran her hand over the floral bedspread.

"I know, but we've been at this for hours. Literally. Hours. The sun has gone down. My lips are almost bruised."

Quinn bit her lip. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself."

Rachel blushed. "It's okay. I really don't mind it. But can we talk for a minute?"

"What do you want to talk about?" She lay down on her back at the foot of Rachel's bed, watching the ceiling.

"I don't know. You?" Rachel leaned forward, trying to catch her attention.

"Me?"

"Yeah. I don't know all that much about you."

"Haven't you read any magazines in the past three years?"

"I'm being serious. All that stuff is just on the surface."

"Ask me something."

Rachel thought for a minute. She wasn't expecting Quinn to be so obliging, but she sat forward and crossed her legs.

"Why did you change your name to Quinn?"

Quinn shot up. "What?"

Suddenly, Rachel felt very embarrassed. "Your real name is Lucy, right? Why did you change it to your middle name?"

"Where did you get that from?" asked the blonde, incredulously.

"Wikipedia," replied a sheepish Rachel.

"Rachel Berry, have you been Googling me?"

Why did she say "Googling" in such a seductive way. It made Rachel think of things. Very naughty things.

"Maybe. Just once."

"Sure. We'll go with that." Quinn lay back down. "My agent said it was a better fit than Lucy. My parents agreed and so I went along with it. I haven't been Lucy in a long time."

"Was it weird? Changing your name?"

"Not really. I kind of liked my middle name. Lucy never really seemed to suit me." She rolled over and crawled toward Rachel. "Now, where were we?"

Rachel giggled and as much as her lips already missed Quinn's she diverted.

"Wait. Tell me about your-"

"Rachel, can we not do this right now?"

"Do what?"

"It's Friday night. School's out. I had a very hard and…weird…semester. My brain has stopped working right now. It needs to reboot."

Rachel pulled her knees up to her chest. She was still trying to get used to Quinn's tone and demeanor and she certainly didn't want to experience her rage again. But leave it to Rachel to poke the bear.

"Can you at least tell me…I mean…the song…" Rachel couldn't get her words out.

"It was a song. It made me think of you," answered Quinn, curtly. Then she mumbled, "Everything makes me think of you."

Rachel smiled. It was comforting to know she wasn't the only was who was unable to clear her thoughts of anything but the one person she didn't _want_ to think about.

"Where did you learn to sing?"

"Rachel, please." Quinn stood up.

"What?" Rachel stood up, too. She was scared, but she was determined to stand her ground. "I just want to know more about you."

"You know enough." Quinn backed away. "I'm so sick of people constantly asking me things all the time. For once, I would just like to not have to talk!"

"I'm sorry." Rachel stepped forward, but Quinn backed away even more. "I didn't realize-"

"You're right," said Quinn. "It's dark out. I should go."

"Don't go. I'm sorry."

Quinn grabbed her jacket and paused at the door for a moment. "I'll call you later."

Rachel didn't move. She didn't argue. She just watched Quinn leave once again. And all she could do was wonder if that call would ever come.

* * *

***The song featured in this chapter is "Gray or Blue" by Jaymay.**


	11. Come Close, Lay Next to Me

A week had gone by before Rachel heard from Quinn. It was an excruciatingly long week plagued with many questions, many sleepless nights and many attempts at dialing Quinn's number only to chicken out at the last second and hang up. She found it hard to believe she was even in this predicament. Had her life really become such a clichéd story of teenage angst? It was a "West Side Story" kind of week for her iPod. Teenagers in love who simply couldn't get their shit together, kept apart by social standings and racism. Sure, it wasn't exactly parallel to her current situation, but it made for some serious melodrama, especially when she would belt out along with "Somewhere."

Yes, things with Quinn weren't quite as dramatic as Tony and Maria's epic love story, but she was in the mood to be depressed. And she felt like practicing the high notes in "I Have a Love." After Quinn stormed out of her room, Rachel had contemplated going after her, but her brain and her heart were, once again, locked in a never-ending battle. Her brain won that time. So, she played the waiting game. And she sulked. And she worked out by running or jumping on the elliptical. And she sang. She tried to keep as much of her schedule intact as she could in order to keep her mind off of the ever-capricious Quinn Fabray.

Indeed, it was a long week for Rachel, but it ended with a knock on her bedroom door and Quinn standing in the doorway.

"Hey."

It seemed the blonde always knew exactly what to say to completely melt Rachel's worn out heart. Apparently, a simple "hey" was all it took today. She wanted to be angry, or at least appear that way, so she hid her smile and kept her face as stoic as possible.

"Hi." Rachel took a seat in her desk chair. "How did you get in here?"

"The front door was unlocked. I tried knocking, but no one answered."

"Breaking and entering. Do you make it a habit of walking into people's houses uninvited just because they don't answer the door?"

"Only people who are worth getting arrested for."

Quinn's shy smile slowly started to melt the hard exterior Rachel was trying to maintain.

"What do you want, Quinn?"

Quinn lingered in the doorway. "I should have called. I should have called the day after I ran out. Actually, if I'm being completely honest, I shouldn't have left here at all."

Rachel nodded, waiting for more. She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms.

Quinn took this as a sign to continue her groveling. "By now, I think I've made it clear to you that I'm not the easiest person to get to know. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for running out like that."

Rachel stood up, walked over to her bed and sat down on the foot of the bed. She looked up at Quinn, who was still in the doorway.

"Come in."

Quinn took a few steps until she was full in the room, but she kept her distance. Rachel could sense her apprehension.

"You know, there's something really dysfunctional about us," informed Rachel. "It seems like we can't have a single conversation without one of us apologizing for something."

Quinn shrugged and grinned. "Keeps things interesting, though. Right?"

"Interesting, yes. And complicated. And confusing." Rachel patted the area next to her on the bed.

Quinn accepted the invitation and sat down next to her. They both stared forward. Rachel wondered who would give in first. She felt somewhat victorious when it was Quinn.

The blonde sighed heavily. "I'm ready."

Rachel looked at her curiously. "Ready for what?"

Quinn nervously bit her lower lip. "You want to know more about me? I'm ready. Ask me anything and I promise I'll be honest with you. I owe you at least that much after the way I've treated you."

"And you won't run away?"

"I won't run away."

Rachel's heart raced faster as she watched Quinn place her hand over her own between them on the bed. Her palms immediately felt sweaty, like right before she was about to perform. The material of her blanket felt like it was thousand degrees. Could Quinn feel it, too? She didn't dare move her hand from that position. Quinn's hand felt amazing on hers and after the hell she had been through this week, she was going to indulge in anything Quinn was willing to give her, however small.

"We really don't have to do this," insisted Rachel.

"Yes, we do. It's time."

Rachel looked around the room, stalling for time. Why couldn't she think of anything right now? Her mind was filled with questions over the past week, but most of them contained the words bitch, wretched and hurtful. She wasn't about to pose any of those to Quinn right now.

"Start with something simple," suggested Quinn.

Rachel nodded. "Um…what's your favorite animal?"

Quinn smiled at the question. "I like manatees."

"Manatees? Why?"

"I don't know. I just think they're cute."

"Okay." Rachel started to feel a bit more at ease now that the first question was out of the way. Her hand was still on fire, though. In the best way possible.

"Who is your favorite _Sex and the City_ character?"

"Samantha. She's honest and loyal." Quinn nudged Rachel's shoulder. "Saving the deep questions for later, huh?"

"Just trying to go easy on you. "What's it like being famous?"

"Ah. So now we get to the meatier stuff." Quinn thought for a moment. "It's everything. It's every emotion you could possibly feel. It's liberating and fun and overwhelming and challenging and exciting and boring and scary and lonely. That's the best way I can describe it. I've felt all of those things at one point or another."

"I know what it's like to feel all those things at the same time. Maybe not in the same capacity as you, but I get it. I know it can be scary and lonely, but I can't wait to be famous. I can't wait for people to hear me sing on Broadway. I know it sounds conceited, but that's really how I feel."

Quinn chuckled and moved her fingers over Rachel's hand. "It does sound a bit conceited, but you're talking to a girl who once walked out of an interview because her publicist insisted the lighting looked terrible. So I can't really judge you there. Besides, I already knew that about you."

"You did?"

"Yes. I'm not the only one whose reputation precedes her. I know all about the Diva of the glee club."

"How did you know?"

"I listen. I hear things. People talk."

Rachel smiled and turned her hand upward to interlock her fingers with Quinn's. The sensation sent chills up her spine. It was amazing how holding hands with the blonde could be so intoxicating.

"So all those conflicting feelings you have…is that why you don't let people in? Are you afraid of feeling another uncontrollable emotion?"

Quinn's eyes went wide. "Wow. That's a rather astute observation. I guess I've never really thought about it like that. But yeah. That sounds about right." Silence fell upon them as Rachel waited for Quinn to continue. "Have you ever heard of Ectopia Cordis?"

Rachel shook her head.

"I didn't know what it was either until I got cast on the show. And even then, I had to look it up." Quinn ran her index finger along Rachel's index finger as she continued. "You know why the show was called _Outside Hearts_?"

"Because all the characters live outside the fictional town of Hearts, Montana." Her eyes were fixated on Quinn's face, hanging on to every word she said.

"Well, that was one of the reasons. But the show's creator - his son was born with Ectopia Cordis, which means he was born with his heart outside of his body. It's a very, very rare condition. He survived, which is amazing. And a few years later, when the show got picked up, the creator wanted to honor his son. So he called it _Outside Hearts_."

Rachel was completely enthralled. "Wow."

"Yeah. And I got to meet this kid. Andrew. He was four years old when I first met him and he's just such great kid. It's hard to believe he was ever that sick. One thing I noticed about this was that he completely trusted everyone he came into contact with. The first time I met him, he gave me a huge hug. Then he ran off and hugged the script supervisor. Then he said 'hi' to the other co-stars and not once did he ever shy away or show any fear around anyone. Even though we were all complete strangers to him."

Quinn closed her eyes and took a moment before she continued.

"And it made me think. From the moment this kid was born, he had no choice but to trust every single person he came into contact with. The doctors, the nurses, the specialists. They all poked and prodded him and operated on him several times and he just had to trust them. His first few months of life were spent with complete strangers who wanted nothing more than to help him. And I realized that, in that sense, he was lucky. One of the luckiest people on the planet, because he learned from birth to trust people. To see the good in them. To know that the world is not out to hurt him."

Rachel gave Quinn's hand a slight squeeze to let her know she was listening intently to every word. Quinn sighed, shook her head and continued.

"The rest of us are raised to be cynical and not trust anyone but your family and maybe a close friend or two. Especially working in the entertainment industry. And here this kid was, giving hugs to strangers. He was born with an innate sense of trust. And sometimes I think that if I was that vulnerable and exposed as a baby, maybe I wouldn't have such a hard time trusting people. Maybe I…wouldn't run when a kind, beautiful girl asks me a simple question."

Quinn was tearing up by this point. Rachel couldn't believe how poignant her words were. And in that moment, she understood completely. The enigma surrounding Quinn was slowly starting to fade. Rachel gripped her hand tighter as a tear fell down Quinn's face. She leaned over and stopped the tear with her lips by placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. She remained there for a moment, tasting the salt of Quinn's tear and soaking in the feel of her skin on her lips. Her lips trailed along her cheek toward her mouth as she felt Quinn slowly turn her head to face Rachel. Their lips softly grazed each other as Rachel brought her other hand up to Quinn's cheek, trying to catch another tear before it fell. Rachel pressed harder and deepened the kiss, wanting so badly to take away some of Quinn's anguish. She could swear she felt her lips aching for more the moment Quinn broke contact and gently pulled away. She didn't go far, though. Quinn's forehead rested against Rachel's as she smiled sweetly at her.

"Thank you."

Rachel nodded and turned to face forward. This next question might prove too difficult to ask if she had to look directly at her. She absentmindedly ran her fingernail over her knee as she tried to form the words in her head.

"So…have you always liked girls?"

Quinn cleared her throat and adjusted her position on the bed. She let go of Rachel's hand, leaned her palms on the bed on either side of her and leaned back.

"I had a feeling that one was coming."

Rachel could feel her face turning bright red and anxiously waited for her response.

"The truth is, I know what I've been for a very long time. Since I was a kid, actually. But I never really acted on it until a few years ago. During the second season of the show."

Rachel noticed a change in Quinn's breathing. It was short and rapid. She put her hand on the blonde's thigh to comfort her.

"What happened?"

"Oh wow. We're really gonna do this, aren't we?"

"Only if you're comfortable," assured Rachel.

"Well, without going into too much detail…I fell in love. She was one of my co-stars. It all kind of happened really fast, but once it did happen, we were inseparable. She was beautiful. She was my first love, my first…everything. This went on for over a year. Whenever we went on hiatus, it was torture. And we hid it from everybody. No one knew." Quinn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "That is until one of the producers caught us. We had been so careful and so discreet and one day, we just got sloppy and too smug for our own good. I forgot to lock the door to the makeup room. It was the first and only time I forgot to lock the door. We were brought in to see the executive producer who proceeded to call our parents. We were told that it was in the best interest of the show that we no longer continue seeing each other. How would it look to everyone knowing that Quinn Fabray was fucking her female co-star? And my parents…I had never heard so much yelling in my life. They berated me and told me if I cared at all about my career, I would stop this at once. I told them I didn't want to stop. I couldn't. So they refused to let me renew my contract for the next season and I was written out of the show."

"Oh my god, Quinn. I…who…which co-star was it?"

Rachel watched as Quinn's hands tightened around the blanket on the bed.

Quinn shook her head. "After the day we got caught, she begged me to never tell anyone. I swore to her I wouldn't. I told her I'd do anything for her. And that included leaving the show. When I went to go find her and tell her I didn't care who knew about us and that I quit the show so I could be with her, she acted…different. Cold. Like she didn't care. She told me I made a huge mistake by quitting and that our relationship was just a little experiment that got out of hand. She told me that if I ever told anyone about us, she'd deny it and claim that I continually hit on her and tried to seduce her. She made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with me anymore."

"And you're still protecting her?"

Quinn shrugged. "It's best that no one outside of the producers and our parents ever found out. The tabloids would have gone nuts. And my career would be over. We were waiting to see if anyone would leak the story. Every day, I searched gossip sites and magazines for any word of it. My parents did, too. They didn't want to have to deal with their daughter's potential tarnished reputation."

"And that's why your parents moved you out here? To avoid scandal?"

Quinn nodded. "And I think to make sure that I stayed away from her. Though, she made that decision for me." Quinn stood up and walked over to Rachel's dresser, examining the contents splayed across it. She picked up a biography on Patti LuPone and nervously thumbed through it. "You're the only person I've ever told about that, by the way."

Rachel sat there in shock and awe. She could see the sadness in Quinn's eyes and couldn't believe how much she was willing to reveal to her. She knew this was difficult for her. She knew Quinn had a near-impenetrable brick wall around her, but she never knew why until now. Wanting desperately to change the subject in order to keep Quinn from shedding anymore tears, Rachel moved on to her next question.

"Do you like me?"

The question was barely above a whisper, but it got Quinn's attention. She put the book down and continued perusing the contents of Rachel's dresser.

"I think that's painfully obvious."

Rachel couldn't hide the joy she found in that answer. She beamed brightly and her insides felt as though they were doing to explode with giddiness.

"Why do you like me?"

Quinn grinned as she turned to face Rachel. "Reasons."

"Reasons?"

"Are you satisfied with the questions I've answered so far?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't we save this one for another time." Quinn walked back over to the bed and leaned over Rachel, resting her hands on each side of the brunette. She was face to face with Rachel. "It's my turn to ask you a question."

"Okay." Rachel was hoping the question was 'wanna make out?'

"And you won't judge me?"

"No."

Quinn brought her face even closer to Rachel's. "I'm exhausted. I would love more than anything to just lie here. With you."

Rachel's breath caught in her throat. "You would?"

Quinn nodded. "I know it's an odd request, but can I just hold you for a while?"

Rachel yielded to her request and scooted back on the bed. She lay down on her left side and immediate felt her entire body get warmer the moment Quinn lay down beside her and wrapped her arms around her. It was exciting and intense, but also somewhat strange. As much as she wanted to, she had a difficult time fully relaxing her body into Quinn's embrace. She could feel Quinn's breath on her neck and the continuing silence between them only made her feel more ill at ease.

"Quinn?"

"Hmm?"

"This is weird."

Quinn chuckled. "Yeah. It is. Definitely not what I expected. You want me to stop?"

Never.

"No." As weird as Rachel felt, she certainly didn't want to risk losing physical contact with Quinn.

"Relax." Quinn ran her hand down the length of Rachel's arm.

"I'm trying. This is just…different."

"Have you ever let anyone just hold you?"

"Not since I was a baby."

"Try to relax."

Quinn squeezed Rachel tighter. Goose bumps started to form on Rachel's skin when Quinn placed a kiss on her neck. Then another. And another. It felt incredible. Rachel moved her head to expose more of her neck for Quinn to explore until finally, she let go. Her entire body went limp. Quinn's somehow knew exactly how to control Rachel simply with her lips. If the acting thing didn't pan out, she knew Quinn could make it as a lip charmer. Is a lip charmer even a thing? Well, it should be. And Quinn Fabray would revolutionize it.

"See? That wasn't so hard," stated Quinn, sounding quite proud of herself.

"You're very persuasive."

"It's one of my many talents."

Rachel didn't know how much time had passed, but she enjoyed every moment of being held by Quinn. She didn't even concern herself with the fact that she heard her dads come home a few minutes ago. They knew not to bother her during her evening vocal exercises. Damn it. She forgot about her vocal exercises. Oh well. She would just have to make up for it tomorrow. Right now, she was enjoying the silence. She was enjoying Quinn's stomach and chest heaving into her back with every breath she took. She was enjoying the fact that all Quinn Fabray wanted to do was hold her.

Quinn placed another kiss on her neck and whispered, "I kinda like you."

As resistant as Rachel was when Quinn first stood in her doorway earlier today, she found herself officially falling for her. There was no going back now. Those three words sent her over the edge. There was absolutely nothing to cling to except Quinn, who apparently grabbed on to Rachel and fell right along with her. And in that moment, Rachel understood. After a life of constantly being told what to do, but also having the freedom to come and go as she pleased, Quinn was conflicted. She spent most of her life playing different characters, phantoms of herself. Nothing was real for her, not even the clandestine relationship with her co-star. It disappeared completely from Quinn's grasp, so now she needed something tangible to hold on to. She needed to feel something real in her arms. And Rachel was it. She needed Rachel to be real, so Rachel resolved then and there to always be the thing that Quinn needed to hold on to. Anything to keep her grounded. Anything to keep her from running away again.

* * *

That's how it went for the rest of their winter break. Quinn would come over and reveal just a little bit more about herself like her favorite food, places to travel and favorite episodes of _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_. Rachel kept the questions light for the most part. She could only imagine how emotionally draining it was for Quinn to reveal so many things to her at once. After the light-hearted question and answer portion was over, they would proceed to lie on the bed the same way every night, with Quinn holding Rachel in her arms. It was their routine and neither of them questioned it.

Apparently, neither did Rachel's dads. They had asked Rachel about the blonde girl that would leave their house every night at midnight and Rachel informed them that she's a new girl in school and she's just trying to make her feel welcomed.

"Honey, that's all very nice and good, but do you ever plan on introducing her to us?" asked her dad one morning at breakfast.

"Sure. At some point. I just don't want her to feel overwhelmed."

"I'm sure she's used to feeling overwhelmed. Especially when being hounded by the paparazzi," her daddy countered.

This caught Rachel off guard. "I…uh….how did you know?"

"Oh please, honey. This is a small town. Word gets around. Besides, you've made me watch that show so many times, her face it pretty much burned on my brain. She was easy to recognize. Even if it was just the back of her head making a beeline for the door."

Rachel should have known better than to keep her celebrity…friend…a secret from her dads. She would have had better luck secretly harboring a wanted fugitive than a girl who was on the cover of multiple celebrity magazines.

* * *

"Quinn?"

"Hmm?"

The blonde's humming response reverberated against Rachel's neck, sending shivers down her spine. She added that to the list of things she'd like to feel again.

"My dads want to meet you."

She felt Quinn's lips against her neck curl up into a smile.

"Soon. Okay?"

"Okay," replied Rachel as she turned her head to meet Quinn's eyes. It was the last day of vacation. School started up again tomorrow and Rachel wanted desperately to ask exactly how they were going to handle the school situation, but Quinn never seemed interested in discussing it.

"So…school starts again tomorrow.'

"Don't remind me," said Quinn. "I'll be counting down the days until May."

"Why's that?"

In lieu of a response, Quinn leaned in and kissed Rachel. Her lips travelled the length of Rachel's lower lip. Rachel's entire face tingled when Quinn's tongue dipped in between her lips, begging for access. Rachel opened her mouth and she was immediately steeped in euphoria the moment their tongues met. Rachel moved her entire body until she was on her back with Quinn, once again, hovering over her. Rachel's breath quivered as she pondered that ongoing question: how does Quinn Fabray do this to her?

Rachel's breath became more pronounced with every maneuver of Quinn's tongue. Quinn pulled away from her mouth and gently kissed her collarbone. Rachel felt her lips make their way down to her chest. Quinn moved the collar of her scoop-neck shirt to gain more access to the exposed skin underneath. When she reached Rachel's bra, she traced her fingers along the upper part of it. Rachel was met with pleading hazel green eyes. All she did was nod her head and Quinn immediately pulled the bra down and kissed around the top part of her breast. Rachel's head fell back and hit the pillow hard. Her fists pulled tight as Quinn's hand gently latched on to her other breast. It was too much for Rachel and, at the same time, it was not enough. She wanted everything off. Her shirt, her bra, all of Quinn's clothes. She wanted it all off. Because even though Quinn's hand felt amazing, there were simply too many layers between Quinn's fingertips and the sensitive skin beneath Rachel's bra. Stupid clothes. Why are they a thing? They're nothing but hindrances.

Quinn pulled the right side of Rachel's bra down just a little more. Rachel didn't look, but she knew. She felt her nipple harden the second the cold air hit it. She was exposed. She was shaking. She was anxious. She anticipating Quinn's next move. With her eyes closed, she felt Quinn's lips on hers once more.

"You're shaking."

Rachel nodded.

"It's okay." Quinn panted as she kissed her forehead. "I can stop."

Rachel looked at her, unsure of what to do.

"Do you want me to stop?" asked Quinn.

Rachel shook her head and choked out a simple, "No."

Quinn smiled knowingly and made her way back down to Rachel's breast. She paused only a moment before making her move. The second Rachel felt Quinn's mouth on her breast, snaking her tongue teasingly across her nipple, she arched back and covered her eyes with her hand because it was just too much. It was all too much. With her tongue, Quinn took another pass at Rachel's erect nipple and the brunette moaned and started to writhe beneath her. She felt a familiar wetness begin to pool between her trembling legs. The more aggressive Quinn's tongue got, the wetter Rachel became.

"Oh god," moaned Rachel.

"Oh god, indeed," replied Quinn as she made her way over to Rachel's other aching breast.

She tugged the bra down even further and Rachel was slowly losing her mind. The moment Quinn took the left one in her mouth, Rachel squealed with a mixture of ecstasy and longing. She felt dizzy, intoxicated. She arched her back even more when Quinn's tongue ran rampant over her nipple, flicking and sucking it in the process. Quinn's other hand came up as she took Rachel's over nipple between her fingers and moaned with delight in the process. Rachel could feel everything everywhere. Nerves shot through her entire body and it was only amplified by the fact that Quinn was taking such pleasure in touching her.

Rachel arched her chest up further into Quinn's mouth, begging for more. Quinn's mouth was her new drug and she wanted it everywhere. She felt another flick of Quinn's tongue and thought she was going to explode at the very action. If Quinn had kept going, Rachel was convinced she probably would have. But her breasts immediately felt lonely when Quinn pulled her mouth away, pulled the collar of the shirt back up and made her way back up to Rachel. The blonde held her once more and nuzzled into her neck.

"You're beautiful, Rachel."

And Rachel smiled. As riled up as she was, Quinn managed to help her heart rate get back to normal with those simple words. And with the mess of blonde hair in her face, she inhaled the lavender scent. It was the last thing she remembered before falling asleep.


	12. Your Body Inching Closer to the Edge

**Author's Note: I sincerely apologize for the long delay in updating. I was going through some serious personal issues. Then, right when I was about to post this chapter, the news about Cory hit. I was devastated, as I'm sure everyone else was. And it just didn't feel right to post anything for a while. Especially since Finn's character is mentioned in this chapter. I'm still reeling from that whole situation and it was hard for me to feel inspired to write anything for a while. But I've found a way to get inspired and so I'm back. And I promise not to go that long without posting a new chapter again. **

**Hope you like it.**

**Quinn's POV**

* * *

Quinn wasn't used to having a curfew, so she wasn't used to having to break it. But she did. Every single night. She did it just to stay a little bit longer at Rachel's. She wasn't very stealthy about sneaking back in to her own house every morning around 3am. She somehow managed to get caught by her mom about seventy percent of the time. Judy would try to scold her daughter, but Quinn always used the "You never cared before, why should you care now?" defense. It seemed to work because Judy never quite knew how to respond to it and always let her off with a stern warning.

And that's how it went in the Fabray household. Parents learning how to parent and a teenager learning how to be a teenager. There were no buffers dividing them. No scripts for Quinn to hide behind. No red carpets events to primp for. No meetings with agents and managers who would essentially be the liaisons between parents and child. Nothing to prevent them from having to force actual conversations with each other. Back in LA, if Judy and Russell didn't know their daughter's whereabouts, her agent usually knew where to find her. Here in Lima, things were different. Slower. Quiet. There was a certain way of going about things. Judy initially tried to fit in by taking up gardening, planting what she hoped would turn into award-winning roses. She wanted their neighbors to "ooh" and "aww" over her beautiful home and elegant yard. That lasted all of two weeks. She failed to consider the fact that this was the Midwest. Winter was a thing here. Snow was a thing. It was difficult for her to cultivate her dream garden when weather was actually a factor. That, plus the fact that she had never attempted to garden before, put an early end to that quest.

Quinn knew her mother was trying to lead as normal a life as possible, but it was a rather difficult task. Russell was of no help, whatsoever. A man of few words, he often answered any questions with a grunt or a few one-word sentences. Seeing as how there were still unpacked boxes in all corners of the house, Quinn had a sneaking suspicion that her parents felt just as stuck and out of place here as she did. Yup. It was pretty clear to Quinn: they were all bored. And miserable. Only now, Quinn at least had something worth getting up for in the morning…or _someone._

Judy wasn't as lucky. Quinn knew her mother was struggling, but wasn't too happy about the fact that her newfound hobby was actually trying to be a good parent. Ever since they moved here, her mom would go on and on about what she learned from _her_ childhood.

"Kids need boundaries and discipline. Especially ones who are as wild and free-spirited as you, Quinnie," Judy would constantly remind her.

Quinn knew Judy was just trying to draw on her own experience on how to raise her, but she couldn't handle the hypocrisy of it all. Her parents never really cared where she was or how late she stayed out, as long as she stayed focused enough to keep her career on track and bring home a steady paycheck. They were too busy enjoying the high life of classy parties, country clubs and all the perks that came with being the parents of Quinn Fabray.

Now that their lives were moving at a slower pace, Judy seemed to make it her goal to drive Quinn crazy. Her most recent nagging point was reminding Quinn that she wanted to "meet this Rachel girl" her daughter was spending all this time with. Quinn shuddered at the phrase. _This Rachel girl._ Like the brunette was less than special. Like she was common. Like she was someone to be wary of or someone who wasn't worthy of Quinn's time. There had been many moments where Quinn had wanted to use excessive force to silence her mother. This was one of those times, but she simply swallowed her anger, twitched at the thought of subjecting Rachel to her parents and forcefully smiled saying she'd try to arrange it.

* * *

Now that winter break was over, Quinn and Rachel had started to settle into their school routine again. Unfortunately, that meant not as many late nights at Rachel's place, otherwise her dads would start asking too many questions and insist on officially meeting Quinn. So they had to cut their number of hours together and limit it to school, glee club and after school activities. Every day, Quinn would count down the hours until Glee club. Then, every Tuesday and Thursday she would accompany Rachel to her dance class. Wednesday evenings were reserved for Rachel's vocal training: four hours of intense singing exercises led by one of Lima's finest vocal coaches. Saturday mornings consisted of a five-mile jog followed by yoga class. These were the days Quinn dreaded most. She was grateful that Rachel had opened up and showed her the demanding schedule she kept, but jogging? Followed by yoga? It was torture for Quinn. But she did it anyway. Because it was time with Rachel. And it was worth coughing and wheezing and turning bright purple. She was embarrassingly out of shape.

Quinn was in awe. She was so amazed by Rachel's dedication and determination to reach her goal of becoming a successful Broadway star. She had never seen anyone work so hard. Quinn was just a child when she was plucked from a group of 50 kids auditioning for a PopTart commercial. From then on, she landed one role after another. Granted, she worked hard, especially as she got older, but she never really grasped how lucky she was that it came so easily to her. Most people have to work incredibly hard and devote their lives to achieving a goal like that.

One Saturday morning, Quinn was starting to see brown spots in her vision as she wheezed her way along Rachel's favorite jogging trail. The brunette was at least fifty yards ahead of her when she turned back to join Quinn.

"Are you okay?"

"Never better," gasped Quinn. Water. She needed water. And a large, comfy bed.

Rachel grinned as she looked Quinn up and down. "If you don't work out, how do you stay so skinny?"

Quinn shrugged. "Good genes?"

By this point, her legs weren't taking any more requests. Her face was a fuchsia color and after feeling she matted, sweaty hair, she knew she must have looked terrible. But there was something in the way Rachel looked at her that made her feel okay about it. She could feel her heart beating wildly as Rachel looked around and then looked back at her, leaned in and gently kissed her lips. Quinn smiled shyly.

"What was that for?"

"Some things don't need an explanation." She looped her arm through Quinn's and pulled her back in the direction they came from. "Come on. We're going to be late for yoga."

Quinn smirked to herself. Saturday workouts were rough, but it also meant it was yoga day. And on yoga day, Quinn always made it a point to sit behind Rachel in class and stare in awe of her keen flexibility. It was the highlight of her week, really. She did feel a bit creepy staring at Rachel the whole time, but didn't feel at all guilty about it. She would often spend each class leering, wanting Rachel more and more with each impressive pose she managed to form. Quinn found herself completely turned on by the sweat dripping off her skin. And it definitely helped that she had a perfect view of her ass. She made it a point to not let Rachel know about the goings on behind her. Quinn decided it was probably for the best that Rachel didn't know the countless inappropriate thoughts swarming around in her head. Most of them involved touching. And maybe a bit of nudity.

She shook her head and wondered what her fans would say if they knew all she thought about these days was having Rachel Berry naked in her bed. Not to mention the PR nightmare that would be for her team. Yes, it was best to keep all these thoughts to herself. At least for now.

* * *

School seemed to fly by for Quinn these days. When she first started, she honestly thought it would never end and she would never get back to LA. But with her budding relationship – could she call it a relationship? Friendship? No, that doesn't seem accurate. Fling? Certainly not. Well, whatever it was that was going on with Rachel, it seemed to make the time go by faster. Over the next month, they started to become even closer, almost inseparable.

One Thursday afternoon, Quinn strolled down the halls thinking only of the fact that she would be accompanying Rachel to her dance class in a couple hours. They had even agreed to skip Glee in order to satisfy Quinn's ice cream craving before the class started, which was pretty much unheard of. Rachel Berry did NOT ditch Glee. Ever. Quinn felt a tinge of guilt for even suggesting it, but Rachel's eager response made her feel like maybe she was something special to Rachel. Something more important to her than singing. It was a thought that thrilled and terrified her at the same time.

She walked past the choir room and tried not to call too much attention to herself while ambling by.

"What's up, Hollyweird? You too good for Glee now?"

Apparently she failed to go unnoticed by an acerbic-tongued Latina.

"I…I just have an appointment to get to. I'll be at the next rehearsal."

Santana leaned against the doorway and looked Quinn up and down.

"So…you and Rachel seem to be pretty chummy."

Quinn shrugged.

"Whatever. I'm not jealous or anything. I kind of have my own thing going on."

"So I've heard." By now, Quinn knew all about Santana's affinity for Brittany.

"So no hard feelings? I mean…knowing that I got Rachel first?"

Quinn tried to compose herself. Laughing would give away the fact that she knew the Santana/Rachel thing was all a ruse. As badly as she wanted to put the cheerleader in her place, she decided to let her have this one.

"No hard feelings."

Santana nodded and took a step closer to Quinn. Quinn instinctively took a step back. She was well aware of Santana's Lima Heights roots and wasn't sure what to expect from her. Her body stiffened as Santana leaned in.

"I know you probably think you're hot shit..."

"I really don't," protested Quinn.

"Well, I'm just assuming that because I automatically think everyone is an asshole, so don't take offense. But I feel like this has to be said."

Quinn nodded, waiting as Santana moved in closer.

"I find Rachel Berry infuriating. Half the time I want to lick a wall socket just so I can black out and drown out the sound of her shrill voice when she's on one of her infamous rants. The other half, I envision ways of silencing her using one of her headbands and a pair of her tights. Then there's the very small percentage of times where I feel this inexplicable need to help the clueless girl. Maybe it's the fact that she reminds me of my Abuela: short, loud and mousy. And for whatever reason, you seem to like the walking Dungeons and Dragons troll. And that's great. So I'm just going to make this short and sweet. You realize that I'm giving you the 'break her heart and I'll break your face' speech right? Or do you need me to actually be clear and say it?"

Quinn had never really felt threatened by anyone before. She had never feared for her life for any reason. Not even when she received questionable fan mail from potential stalkers in the past, but there was something about Santana's voice that instilled a good amount of fear inside of her. She nodded.

"I understand."

Santana stepped back and smiled sweetly. "That's what I like to hear. And don't let her miss another Glee rehearsal. The earth might spin off its axis or something."

Quinn nodded again.

"And Quinn?"

"Yeah?"

Santana paused for a moment. "Just…don't be a dick. I don't fully trust you. And for once, I'd like to be proven wrong about something."

Quinn nodded once more. "You _are_ wrong."

"I hope so."

* * *

Quinn could tell that today's dance class was particularly grueling for all involved. She was glad she was a mere spectator, admiring Rachel's moves from the corner of the studio. Once the class was over and everyone cleared out, Rachel stayed behind to do some stretching. Quinn knew it was really for her benefit. Rachel Berry knew exactly what she was doing.

Quinn stood up and approached the dancing diva.

"Enjoying the view?"

Quinn looked over to the mirrored wall to check out her favorite asset of Rachel's.

"Not bad."

Rachel playfully nudged her. "You ready to go?"

"In a minute. I have a question for you."

"And what's that?"

Quinn took a deep breath. "Would you be okay with me subjecting you to an hour of torture will likely lead to regret and painful memories?"

Rachel looked at her suspiciously.

"My mom wants you to come to dinner. She hasn't gone a day without asking me and I really need her to stop. For my sanity and for her safety."

"Is that so?" Rachel grabbed a towel from her bag and dabbed her face with it. "I seem to remember tell you my dads want to meet you. That hasn't happened yet."

Quinn gave her a sheepish look. "Tradsies? Dinner with my parents for dinner with your parents."

"Deal." Rachel stuck her hand out and they shook on it.

Quinn didn't let go, though. She pulled Rachel in closer – close enough to feel the heat radiating off her glistening skin.

"You looked great up there today. Impressive moves."

"I still need a lot of work. I don't quite give off that 'Wow' factor like you do."

"Like I do?" asked Quinn.

"Yeah. Everybody loves you. The camera loves you. Casting directors obviously love you. You're being labeled the new 'It Girl.'"

Quinn had read a few things here and there about that. She would tend to ignore it, but secretly found it exciting. Her career was only getting bigger. But for some reason, hearing the words come out of Rachel's mouth made it feel cheap and shallow. Probably because Rachel was anything but cheap and shallow. Yet here she was, in awe of Quinn's fame. Perhaps envious. It made her feel sick to her stomach. Quinn didn't want Rachel to view her that way.

She moved in closer and placed her hand on the small of Rachel's back, pulling her in.

"Rachel? I need you to stop talking."

"I can do that."

She was mesmerized by the brown eyes staring up at her in silence. Something about how quickly Rachel obeyed her triggered something within Quinn. It felt good. It gave her a sense of control. She leaned down and kissed Rachel. Their lips immediate fought for control of the kiss. Quinn's won. She ran her tongue along Rachel's smooth lower lip, then pushed past her lips, hungrily greeting the brunette's tongue.

Rachel moaned deeply. Their heavy panting echoed through the studio. Quinn moved her other hand up to cradle the back of Rachel's neck. She craved more contact. Without breaking the kiss, she pushed Rachel back until they collided into the mirror with a thud. The kiss only intensified as Quinn pushed herself up against Rachel, using the mirror as leverage. It felt incredible. Nearly every inch of her was in some way touching nearly every inch of Rachel. She moved her lips down to Rachel's neck and shoulder, tasting the salty sweat emanating from her skin. Quinn locked eyes with herself in the mirror. There was something so intense about watching herself caressing and tasting Rachel. It instantly turned her on. She needed to see more.

She placed one more gentle kiss on Rachel's lips, then slowly turned her around so Rachel was facing the mirror. Her hands pressed up against the mirror, shoulder length apart. Quinn waited for an objection from the shorter girl, but none came. She noticed a sizable smudge on the mirror from where Rachel's back was against it. Hopefully whoever cleans it will understand the urgency of her situation. It's simply beyond her control. From behind Rachel, Quinn moved her hands up the brunette's torso. She could feel her skin starting to cool from a mixture of the dried sweat and the air conditioning that just kicked in. Quinn's hips pushed into Rachel's backside, closing the gap between Rachel and the mirror. Quinn watched as the mirror became fogged up from Rachel's breath.

She thrust her hips into Rachel as her hands worked their way up under Rachel's shirt, stopping short of her sports bra. She played with the hem for a minute, then ran her fingers along Rachel's left breast, grazing her nipple. Rachel gasped and jerked. Quinn repeated the action one more time. Rachel gasped and jerked once more.

With her face against the mirror, Rachel barely managed to choke out one word. "Again."

Quinn smiled and granted the request. She felt Rachel's entire body shudder. Quinn moved her hand back down to the hem of her sports bra once more and began kissing the back of her neck in the process. Rachel arched into the kiss and closed her eyes while biting her lip. Quinn watched the entire process unfold in the reflection. Rachel's face looked nearly orgasmic. It was unlike anything Quinn had scene. She continued running her tongue along Rachel's salty neck as she watched her own hands fumble around under Rachel's shirt. She felt her own center throbbing as she began to lift up Rachel's binding sports bra, resting above her now freed breast. She watched Rachel's face, looking for any signs of wanting to stop. There were none.

Quinn moved her hands back to Rachel's toned abdomen and lingered there for a while. She wished she could see what was going on under that shirt, but her tactile senses would have to do for now. Her fingers ran up and down Rachel's firm stomach muscles. She could feel the other girl squirming at her touch. Quinn pressed up closer against her, pushing her further against the mirror. She continued to tease her fingers along Rachel's stomach until she heard an undecipherable sound coming from the other girl.

"What was that?" asked Quinn.

"I said 'please,'" panted Rachel.

"Please what?"

"You know what."

"Please stop?" teased Quinn.

Rachel emphatically shook her head no.

"Please."

Quinn reached her left hand up to Rachel's lips to silence her, then replaced her finger with her own lips. She moved her hand back under Rachel's shirt and moved both her hands up her torso. This time, she kept going. The anticipation was killing her, probably more than it was killing Rachel. She exhaled the moment her hands reached Rachel's perfectly formed breasts. Trying her best to keep composed, she circled her fingers over and round Rachel's hardened nipples, indulging in their perfection. The moment her fingers came into contact, Rachel's hips jolted, pushing ass up against Quinn. It sent a shock through the blonde's core. Her stomach seized and she could feel her clit start to throb as her hands cupped Rachel's breasts.

The throbbing continued as Rachel's moans grew louder. Quinn could feel herself getting wet with each passing moment. She continued kissing Rachel as her eyes kept watching them in the mirror. Never had she experienced anything like this before. She needed more. Her right gradually moved down toward the waistband of Rachel's tights. Her fingers tentatively dipped in and stroked the skin on Rachel's hips. She felt Rachel's breathing become heavier as their tongues continued to meld as one. Quinn hesitated for a moment and was shocked when she suddenly felt Rachel's hand on top of hers, slowly guiding it to where she wanted to be touched.

Quinn's breath hitched at the thought of what was about to happen.

"Touch me," whispered Rachel.

And that was all Quinn needed. She allowed Rachel to guide her hand. She couldn't believe what was about to happen. And just as she reached her destination, she heard voices outside the door.

They instantaneously pulled away from each other, both trying to catch their breath.

Rachel shook her head. "I forgot. Every other Thursday, they have an 8 o'clock class. I'm so sorry."

Quinn was still in a daze when the door opened and dancers filtered in for the next class. No one seemed to have caught them in action seeing as how none of them were paying the slightest bit of attention to them.

Quinn smiled and looked at Rachel.

"So…dinner at my place next Friday?"

* * *

The sound of silverware clinking against the plates was the only thing that kept the dinner table from being completely silent. Quinn sat nervously looking back and forth between her mom, her dad and Rachel. Judy was on her third glass of Pinot Grigio and Russell was concentrating on his undercooked potato. Quinn couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Judy had insisted on cooking. It was another one of her "let's be normal" whims that never turned out well. She had attempted to cook a few times before and they all turned out to be disastrous. Quinn had warned Rachel that they were not used to doing her own cooking and apologized in advance, but that still didn't save her from total embarrassment.

She watched Rachel carefully eat around the slab of meat on her plate.

"So…_Rachel_."

Quinn cringed at the sound of her mom emphasizing Rachel's name.

"You don't like your food?"

"Mom, no one likes the food," replied Quinn.

"No," Rachel intervened. "It's fine. I just…I'm assuming Quinn didn't tell you. I'm a vegan."

"Oh, I told her," muttered Quinn.

"I'm sorry. I must have forgotten." Judy took another sip of wine. "I do recall Quinn saying something about that, but I figured it was a phase. Quinnie was vegan for a little while, weren't you, honey?"

"I missed bacon." Quinn pushed the inedible food around on her plate.

"It's okay," assured Rachel. "I don't expect anyone to tailor to my dietary quirks. The rest of it is very good. Thank you so much for cooking."

Quinn smirked. Rachel Berry was definitely a natural. No acting classes needed.

"Someone pass the salt."

It was the first time Quinn heard her father's voice since dinner started. She handed the salt shaker over to him and watched as he coated his potato with it while muttering something unintelligible under his breath. God, could her parents be more embarrassing?

"So Rachel, do you have a boyfriend?"

The answer is yes. Yes they _can_ be more embarrassing. Quinn sighed heavily and shook her head. And so it begins.

"Um…no. Not at the moment."

"You're such a pretty girl. Beautiful features. And look at that mouth."

For once, Quinn obeyed her mother and fondly gazed upon the brunette's mouth. Indeed, it was quite remarkable.

"It's hard to believe you don't have a boyfriend," Judy continued.

"Mom!" Quinn knew where this was going.

"I was dating someone for a while last year. It didn't work out. He…" Rachel locked eyes with Quinn from across the table. "He just wasn't who I was meant to be with, I guess."

Judy wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Well, that's a shame. Perhaps Quinn can help set you up with someone. Maybe Finn has a friend or something. Honey, you should really bring Finn around. He seems like such a nice boy."

Quinn felt a piece of her steak get lodged in her throat as the sound of Finn's name. She immediately started coughing and reached for her water. Her eyes watered as the coughing fit continued.

"Quinnie, are you okay?"

Quinn waved her mother away. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Just…went down the wrong way." She looked up at Rachel, who was bright red at this moment. They both shared a secret smile.

"That sounds like a good idea, Quinn," replied Rachel. "Maybe Finn has someone on the football team who would like to take me out."

She was being facetious. It was obvious. And Quinn loved her for it. Well, not _loved_ her, but…you know…whatever.

"Actually, Mrs. Fabray, I'm not sure I'm really 'football player' material."

"Why do you say that?"

Quinn froze. Where exactly was Rachel going with this?

"Well, I'm not the most popular girl in school. Besides, my extracurricular activities don't leave me much time for boys."

But they leave her plenty of time for girls, thought Quinn, who tried to bury her smile by forcing down what she could only assume was a green bean.

"Well, Quinn was always very popular with the boys back in LA. Do you know that one of those boys from _Gossip Girl_ kept sending her roses and asking her out? What was his name, Quinnie?"

Quinn closed her eyes and prayed that this dinner would end. Judy was really laying it on extra thick. "Mom, that was over a year ago. And he was too old for me."

"Well, he was a cutie nonetheless. But Rachel, let me tell you, we are so glad that Quinn has found a regular guy to date. These actors can be slick, you know? They can lead you on and make you think you feel something that you really don't feel."

"Okay, mom. That's enough. Rachel really doesn't want to hear about all that." Quinn watched Rachel for any reaction to Judy's thinly-veiled warning. But Rachel never faltered.

"Well, it must be nice to get away from all that for a while." She pulled the napkin from her lap and placed it on the table next to her plate. "That was delicious. I'm stuffed."

She got up to grab her plate.

"Oh, no. Don't worry about that, sweetie. I'll get it," insisted Judy.

Quinn grabbed her phone and punched out a quick text as Judy got up to clear the table.

**Want to sneak out and grab a pizza? I'm sure we can find something dairy-free.**

She waited patiently until her phone buzzed and she read Rachel's response.

**God, yes! I'm starved. I know just the place.**

Quinn smiled and began typing again.

**Congratulations. You survived. Now you see why I don't bring anyone around here.**

She watched Rachel's face as she read the incoming text, then eagerly awaited her response.

**It was worth it to watch you squirm. You seem wound pretty tight.**

Quinn laughed and leaned across the table. "Now you see where I get it from."

Rachel smiled flirtatiously. "Well, maybe we can find a way to remedy that."


	13. No Limits, Just Epiphanies

**A/N: I just wanted to say thank you for all your amazing reviews. It keeps me going!**

**And don't worry. The next chapter will pick up exactly where this one leaves off. **

**Rachel's POV**

* * *

It was safe to say that Quinn meeting Rachel's dads went over a lot smoother than Rachel's dinner with Quinn's parents. Leroy and Hiram were nothing but courteous and they made Quinn feel right at home. Things only got slightly awkward with Leroy grilled Quinn about life as a celebrity. His addiction to shows like _Access Hollywood_ and _Entertainment Tonight_ made it impossible for him to not bring up her acting, even though Rachel made him promise he wouldn't. But Quinn handled it like the pro she was. And once the awkward part was over, they talked about politics, musicals and how talented Rachel was. Rachel found herself sinking further into the couch as Quinn and her dads went on and on about Rachel's singing and dancing. Rachel was never really one to shy away from compliments, but her fathers had a tendency to dote on her way too much. And Quinn? Well, she was talented and beautiful and Rachel had no idea how someone that amazing could be gushing over her. She was just a girl from Lima with a dream. A dream that Quinn was living. And, while she was in no way jealous of Quinn's success, she couldn't help but wonder if she would find success of her own on Broadway. It felt surreal to her that Quinn Fabray was in her living room listing everything that made Rachel special.

After the initial visit, Rachel was surprised by Quinn's willingness to come over more often when her dads were there. They always knew how to be the perfect hosts, but she thought Quinn would find their hospitality a little overbearing. It was just the opposite. Every day, Quinn would ask Rachel how Hiram and Leroy were doing and whether or not they had read that book she recommended or watched that movie she was telling them about. Rachel started to wonder if they were all meeting in secret without her. She also began to wonder when it would be an appropriate time to tell her dads that Quinn isn't exactly just her friend. Of course, that was something to discuss later. With Quinn. They closer she and they became, the more terrified Rachel felt. Because she knew they would eventually have to have a conversation about them. About what it all meant and who they were to each other and who they could tell and who they couldn't. Rachel knew discretion was of the utmost importance. She knew it when she took Quinn's had the other day as they were walking out of the choir room after glee and Quinn flinched and pulled away. They hadn't discussed it, but Rachel knew. And she decided she was okay with it. Whose business was it, anyway? Just hers and Quinn's. And Santana's. And Brittany's. Oh God. She could only hope those two would know enough to keep their mouths shut about the whole situation.

Between this very fun, yet very confusing, relationship with Quinn, her dads prattling on about Quinn, and Santana and Brittany's knowledge of…well…everything, Rachel's head was a mess. Not to mention her ever-growing, aching desire for Quinn that has enveloped her entire being. That was also something that was not only messing with her head, but her whole body, as well. But she couldn't think about that now. She just couldn't. Because it was too much. Quinn and her lips and her neck and her perfect, soft skin. It was all too much.

When Rachel stepped outside her front door, a brisk chill hit her face. She buttoned up her coat and found herself longing for summer. It was early March and still way too cold and she missed the feeling of her fingers. She hopped in her dads' Audi and pulled out of the driveway. If she went left, it would take her to Quinn's place. They could spend the evening talking and laughing and cuddling. It sounded perfect to Rachel. But instead, she went right. She needed some peace of mind. She needed her Yoda.

It was a Wednesday night and she knew that meant Santana would be at Brittany's house because Brittany's parents were in Columbus until Saturday. By the time Rachel walked up to the door, she no longer felt cold. In fact, she was sweating a bit. Probably from over-thinking everything, like she usually does. She knocked loudly, but there was no answer. She stepped back and looked up to see the light in Brittany's room shining brightly from her second-story room. She was obviously home. Rachel knocked again, even louder this time. Then, she heard giggling coming from Brittany's bedroom and jumped as she heard a voice come over the intercom.

"If you're the pizza guy, come in and leave the pizza on the table in the foyer." It was Santana's voice. "There's a $20 on the table. Keep the change."

Rachel thought that was rather trusting and kind of stupid on Santana's part to just let some stranger enter the house like that.

"Oh, and we have mace and a gun if you try anything sleazy," warned Santana. Her voice was breaking up through the intercom.

Rachel scoffed and shook her head. No, she wasn't the pizza guy, but she needed to talk to them. And if they weren't gonna come down to her, she was gonna go to them. She opened the door and looked around inside. Sure enough, there was a twenty on the table in front of her.

"Hello?"

No response.

"Brittany? Santana? It's Rachel!"

Still no response.

She placed her coat on the Pierce's floral couch and headed up the stairs.

"I'm coming up!"

It did cross Rachel's mind that there was a good chance she may be interrupting something, but really, has that ever stopped her before?

When she approached Brittany's bedroom door, she leaned in to see if any sounds they made were any indication as to what they were doing. She heard nothing. Maybe it was just a make-out session she would be interrupting. No harm in that, right?

She knocked on the door to make her presence known, then slowly opened it. At first, all she could see was Brittany's dresser. Then the foot of her bed. And then the entire bed, which was occupied by two naked bodies. Santana was on top of Brittany, both girls too busy grinding and moaning to even notice a mortified Rachel.

She stepped away from the door and closed it quickly. Unfortunately, it was also a little too loudly. She buried her head in her hands as she heard a loud thud coming from the bedroom. Then came what sounded like a lamp breaking.

"What the fuck?" yelled Santana.

"Shhh…what was that?" asked Brittany.

"Stay there," said Santana. "Maybe it's just the pizza guy downstairs."

Rachel was too embarrassed and too much in shock to make a decision. Should she stay or should she run like hell? She wanted to run, but her body wouldn't move. Maybe if she stood really, really still, no one would notice her standing out in the hallway. Maybe Santana was like a t-rex and couldn't see motionless objects.

She felt a gust of wind when the door opened and Santana stood there with a sheet covering her most intimate parts. Rachel finally felt brave enough to show herself.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Berry! What are you doing here?" Santana was enraged. She flipped her tousled hair as she tugged at her sheet.

"I…I…my god, I'm so sorry. I just needed to talk to you." Rachel felt her entire face turn flaming red.

"So you broke into Brittany's house to watch us have sex? Were you gonna go over the play-by-play with us? Tell us what needs improvement? What the hell, Berry?"

"No…I…"

"What? What was _so_ important that you couldn't wait until tomorrow to talk to me about? Have you even heard of a phone?"

Rachel was speechless. Santana's angry eyes felt like they were burning holes right through Rachel's skin. The Cheerio looked her up and down.

"Does Snow White even know you left the cottage?" asked Santana.

That's when Rachel knew. She had crossed a line. It had been a while since Santana made any kind of dwarf reference in regards to Rachel. She must have really pissed her off this time.

"What? Did you suddenly forget what was so important to tell me?" Santana wasn't letting up.

Rachel could feel the tears forming behind her eyes. It was only a matter of time before she ran down the stairs crying, which was the last thing she wanted to do in front of Santana.

"Hi Rachel!"

Rachel looked up to see a beaming Brittany appear in the doorway. She could almost swear the light in her room gave off the essence of a halo over Brittany's head. Her guardian angel. There to protect her from all things Lopez.

"Hi Brittany."

"What are you doing here?"

"I…I came to talk to you. Both of you."

Brittany's smile curtailed Santana's scowl as she bounded toward Rachel and took her by the hand.

"Well, come in! Tell us what you need." She jumped on the bed, also wearing nothing but a sheet.

Santana rolled her eyes and followed them in. Rachel nervously stayed close to the doorway. Obviously, she had killed the mood.

Brittany excitedly wiggled her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Did you happen to see the pizza guy when you were outside? I'm hungry."

"No, sorry."

Santana sat on the bed next to Brittany and rubbed her back.

"We'll get you some food soon, Britt Britt. We may have expended too much energy." She glared at Rachel. "Well, you're here now. What do you want?"

"I'm so sorry, guys." Rachel leaned against the door. "I just didn't know who else to talk to." Rachel looked over at the night stand and sure enough, there was a broken lamp on the floor. "I'll buy you a new lamp."

Brittany smiled. "It wasn't the first time that's happened. Won't be the last. Lord Tubbington has a tendency to knock over lamps. I'll just blame this one on him. My parents won't know the difference."

Santana heaved a sigh and leaned back on the bed, a little too seductively for Rachel's comfort. "So what's the big problem, Berry? Having trouble satisfying the movie star?"

Rachel blushed. Perhaps that advice would come at a later date, but right now she needed to focus. "No…I…I just panicked. I mean, I know I can trust you. Both of you. But I wanted to make sure that you haven't told anyone about me and Quinn. And that you won't tell anyone. Ever."

Brittany emphatically shook her head and raised her right hand. "I haven't. And I won't. I swear."

Santana studied Rachel for a moment, briefly giving the young diva a mild coronary in the process. Why was she taking so long to answer?

"You really care about her that much? You'd run around in secret, hiding your feelings for each other just because she's afraid?"

Rachel shook her head. "It's really not like that. She hasn't said anything to me about that. I just wanted to make sure I covered all my bases. I know she's not exactly ready to tell people. And I know if we were to ever reveal anything, she'd want it to be on her own terms. Not something that's churned through the rumor mill."

Santana stood up and adjusted the sheet around her body accordingly. She approached Rachel slowly and took her hand.

"Rachel, I swear to you I have never and will never reveal the details of your relationship with Quinn to anyone. You have my word."

Rachel smiled, a wave of relief washing over her. "Thank you."

"But I still don't understand why this couldn't have been relayed over the phone. I mean really, Berry, are you that neurotic?"

Rachel arched an eyebrow at Santana. "Have you met me?"

"Point taken."

"Thanks for taking my manic episodes in stride. You're a good friend. Both of you are."

Santana backed away. "Yeah, well…give me a twenty. You're paying for our pizza."

Rachel chuckled. "I'll put it on the table downstairs. I'll leave you two to…finish…or whatever." She closed the door and headed downstairs.

"By the way, you saw nothing!" yelled Santana.

Rachel wondered if Santana was just as embarrassed as she was.

* * *

Rachel didn't tell Quinn about her visit with Brittany and Santana. She figured Quinn should be the one to bring up anything regarding exactly how clandestine their relationship should be. She just wanted to enjoy the weekend with her. They didn't really have anything planned. They never did. Most of the time, they would just end up lying on the floor in Rachel's room for hours. Talking or not talking. Or watching some of Rachel's favorite old musicals. Or some of Quinn's favorite Katharine Hepburn movies. They would throw popcorn at each other and laugh until Rachel's dads would tell them to "keep it down. The old men are trying to sleep." Today, however, they opted for the local movie theater. There wasn't a lot to do in a town like Lima. It was either a movie or bowling. And Rachel somehow always managed to get her thumb stuck in the bowling ball. She was just that talented. A movie was safe and would no doubt save her some embarrassment.

They sat towards the back of the theater in an empty row. Every time someone walked in, Rachel willed them to sit in a different row. So far, it had worked. She wasn't about to sit next to Quinn for two hours and not be able to touch her.

She sat nervously with her hands gripping the popcorn bucket on her lap as Quinn gnawed on some Red Vines. She fidgeted, trying to make herself comfortable and doing her best to not stare at Quinn the entire time. She grabbed a few pieces of popcorn, but was suddenly too nervous to eat. Why did she opt for the large? She felt the grease from the oil on her fingertips and wiped it on her jeans. Through her peripheral vision, she noticed Quinn looking at her.

The blonde reached over, took the popcorn and put it on the seat next to her.

"Are you nervous, Rachel?"

How was Quinn so perceptive?

"No. Why would I be nervous?" Rachel shrugged it off, but felt her insides melting when Quinn flashed her a smile.

"No reason." Quinn looked around for a moment and gave Rachel a swift, but sweet, kiss.

All Rachel could taste was Red Vines. All she could smell was the lavender and cedar scent from Quinn's shampoo. And all she could see was Quinn's silhouette once the lights went down and the screen lit up. Rachel's pulse quickened when she felt a hand reach for hers under the armrest. She took in the moment, indulging in every stroke of Quinn's thumb in the palm of her hand. She could tell Quinn was smiling, obviously enjoying the moment herself. Sure, they weren't making out, but something about Quinn's touch felt so sensual.

Then, something felt off. Quinn's grip tightened around her fingers. When Rachel looked at the screen, she was taken aback by what she saw. A twenty-foot tall Quinn Fabray staring right at her. It was by far the most surreal moment of Rachel's life. Her mouth fell open as she watched Quinn in a skin tight outfit that strategically hugged every part of her perfect body. The scenes flashed faster and faster. The music swelled and each scene showed a different shot of Quinn - or rather Quinn's character. Rachel was completely intrigued by what was unfolding on the screen in front of her.

_"This summer, Emily Stark learns that the only way to prove her innocence is by breaking all the rules."_

The trailer's voiceover led to a scene of Quinn hanging off the side of a tall building, and then letting go. Rachel gasped as the screen went black and flashed the title _Ten Stories Down._ And then the trailer ended. Rachel had no idea how it happened or why, but for some reason, she was completely turned on by what she just saw. She was almost ready to pounce on the girl until she noticed that Quinn wasn't smiling. She wasn't really doing much of anything except looking down and clumsily digging for another Red Vine. She loosened the grip on Rachel's hand.

"Are you okay?" whispered Rachel.

Quinn shrugged. "I'm sorry. I just had no idea they were already showing the trailer."

"It looked good! You should be proud," assured Rachel. "I can't wait to see it. When is it coming out?"

Quinn pursed her lips and looked at Rachel pleadingly. "Can we go? Suddenly, I'm not feeling too well."

Rachel nodded, slightly disappointed. "Of course."

Obviously Quinn was a little shaken up by seeing herself on screen. Rachel figured she was probably used to it, but perhaps not.

They made it out to the exit just as Rachel realized she had left the entire bucket of popcorn back in the theater. There was $10 well wasted. She grabbed Quinn's hand and before she could even suggest going back to get it, they were swarmed by flashing lights. A group of at least twenty people rushed towards them, almost appearing out of nowhere. Rachel felt Quinn jerk her hand away – a perfectly understandable reaction when someone jumps out and scares you half to death. As camera's flashed in their faces, Quinn was being bombarded with questions. Rachel stood there completely stunned, looking to Quinn for guidance.

"Quinn! Who's your friend? You two have been spotted together a lot lately!"

"Quinn! We know you're not filming a movie out here, so why are you here?"

"I'm just here to relax and visit with some friends," responded Quinn, who calmly started guiding Rachel to the parking lot. She leaned over and whispered, "You don't have to say anything. It's best if you don't."

"Quinn! When will you be starting your promotional tour for your next movie?"

Promotional tour? The words echoed through Rachel's head. She didn't think about Quinn going on a promotional tour. Before she could do the typical "girl" thing and dissect those words into every possible meaning they could have, the pain she felt from someone stepping on her foot snapped her out of it.

They tried to make their way to Quinn's car as the flashes increased. A crowd started to gather to see what all the commotion was about.

"How did they find you?" asked Rachel, trying to ward off some guy who kept shoving his camera in her face. Quinn maneuvered her way around the other side of Rachel to shield her from him.

"It just starts with one. News travels fast. They're like vultures!" She said that last bit loudly on purpose. "They multiply and they hang out and just wait. This is their job. They are professional assholes. Get the shot at all costs. And bonus points if you can get a rise out of me and capture it on film."

"Quinn! Are the rumors true?"

They were relentless.

"Is it true you had a meltdown after a breakup?"

At that point, Rachel was ready to punch someone in the face, but she realized Quinn was right. That's just what they would want. Still, while Quinn kept her poise and remained calm, Rachel was riled up and ready to fight. She may be small, but she was scrappy. And she wouldn't hesitate to pull some hair or use her nails to gouge the next person who threw out an insulting question to Quinn.

"I'm just here on a little vacation," assured Quinn. It was all she would give them. When they finally got into the car, Quinn carefully tried to move her way around the growing crowd. Rachel was blinded by the flashes and had no idea how Quinn was able to navigate where she was going.

Once they were clear, Quinn sped up and raced down the street. Rachel gripped her seat. She knew Quinn was just trying to make sure no one would follow them, but going 80 in a 40 zone wasn't the safest idea.

Once she had made a few left and right turns, Quinn slowed the car down.

"I don't even know where I am."

Rachel looked out the window and immediately recognized the area. "Oh, turn right here."

Quinn followed her instructions and they pulled to the side of the road next to a park.

"This is where my dads used to take me when I was little." Rachel pointed. "That little path over there is where I first learned to ride a bike. And over there, they would push me on the swings. And-"

"Rachel?"

She looked back at Quinn who was grinning at her.

"What?"

"Are you okay? You're talking really fast."

Rachel chuckled. "Sorry. Adrenaline."

Quinn nodded, took off her seatbelt and inched her way closer to the passenger seat. "Yeah. Being chased by a mob with expensive camera equipment will do that to you. Especially if you're a first-timer."

Rachel took a moment to try and catch her breath. The fact that Quinn was now running her finger along her forearm was not helping.

"What are you doing?" Rachel couldn't help but grin.

"Trying to calm you down."

"It's having the opposite effect."

Quinn gave Rachel a side smile. "We can always try something else."

Rachel was pretty sure Quinn was trying to kill her. Or perhaps just overload and over-stimulate her brain and her body. Because with one look of that come-hither stare, Rachel was a goner. She forgot all about the childhood memories that took place here and was ready to create some new adult memories. Very fun adult memories. At this point, her body worked faster then her brain and she lunged at Quinn. Unfortunately, she had forgotten her seatbelt was on and was stopped dead in her tracks from the stupid, life-saving apparatus. She barely got two inches from Quinn's lips before the seatbelt jolted her back, leaving a welt on her neck and chest.

"Damn it!" Rachel released herself from the inanimate moment-killer and immediately attached herself to Quinn's lips. Perhaps it wasn't the smartest idea making out in a public area knowing the paparazzi was out there somewhere, but there was no one around and the urgency between them far outweighed the potential consequences. Rachel was fired up. It was getting to the point where she couldn't tell whose lips were whose anymore. She could swear she saw fireworks, but most likely she was just seeing spots from the earlier camera flashes.

There was something to be said about making out in a car in at night in the middle of a park. It was the stuff of teenage romantic movies, but for some reason, this was not quite living up to the dream. Rachel tried reaching over to touch Quinn's thigh, but the position of the seat was making that difficult. She tried reaching for her chest this time, but as she was adjusting the way she was sitting, she ended up hitting her knee on the center console.

"Ouch!"

"Are you okay?" Quinn's voice was lined with laughter.

"Yeah." Rachel rubbed her knee and winced. "Your car doesn't want me to touch you."

Quinn rubbed the steering wheel. "She can be a bit of a jealous bitch sometimes."

Rachel massaged the welt on her neck and the bump on her knee. "Maybe we should just call it a night. Rain check on the movie? We can watch one at my place next weekend."

Quinn leaned over and put her head on Rachel's shoulder. "That sounds nice. A lot more peaceful and less drama-filled."

Quinn's hair was tickling Rachel's cheek. She closed her eyes and nuzzled her, feeling the downy soft hair against her skin. It was perfect. Just like Quinn.

* * *

After the paparazzi debacle from the week before, the girls were quite content with having one of their movie nights at Rachel's house. They welcomed the opportunity to just relax and not worry so much about who was around. It was Quinn's turn to choose the movie. She chose _Holiday_ – her favorite Hepburn/Grant venture. They were on the floor of Rachel's room with Rachel lying on her back and Quinn on her stomach with her legs up and crossed at the ankles. Her eyes were focused on the TV as she absentmindedly grabbed for the popcorn in front of her. Rachel watched as the black and white glow of the TV set silhouetted the strands of Quinn's soft, blonde hair. This was her favorite look of Quinn's. Hair slightly disheveled, wearing her comfortable sweats that hugged her ass so perfectly and a ribbed tank top. She looked perfect. Flawless, as always. She reached out and ran her nails over the nape of Quinn's neck. This elicited a shudder from the other girl, who looked back at her and grinned.

"Another."

Rachel smiled and obliged, running her nails over the nape of her neck again and again. Quinn leaned into it in a cat-like manner.

"Purrrrrrrrrr."

"You're actually _saying_ purr?" asked Rachel.

"I can't roll my r's. So I have to rely on the onomatopoeic sound of the word 'purr.' Don't judge me. We all have our gaps. That's one of mine."

Rachel nodded.

"Isn't there anything you can't do?" asked Quinn.

"I'm Rachel Berry. So the answer is no. No, there is nothing I can't do."

With a defiant look on her face, Quinn crawled over to Rachel. "Oh yeah? I bet I can think of something you can't do."

Rachel smiled smugly. "Try me."

Quinn hovered over Rachel, her dangling hair tickling Rachel's forehead. Rachel watched as Quinn bit her lip and ran her eyes over every inch of her face. Rachel's breath quickened as Quinn lowered her lips just over Rachel's and lingered there. Rachel took this as an invitation and raised her neck up to meet her the rest of the way. But instead of capturing Quinn's lips, the blonde pulled away and shoved a handful of popcorn in Rachel's mouth. Rachel nearly choked as she sat up and spit most of it out. She started coughing and her eyes teared up.

"What the hell, Quinn?"

Quinn shrugged and looked victorious. "That's one thing you can't do, Miss Rachel Berry. You can't resist me." Quinn went back to her spot and continued watching the movie without giving Rachel a second look.

Rachel was never one to give up without having the last word, but she was actually speechless this time. She really hated that. Not to mention the salty taste of popcorn on her lips. She took a drink of her pineapple-mango juice to alleviate the damage.

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" asked Rachel.

"Wow…like five minutes later. Nice retort." Quinn didn't even look away from the TV. Rachel sat there behind the blonde, trying to plot some sort of revenge. It would have to be sneaky and it would have to be epic, but nothing was coming to her.

"Rachel, just admit your defeat and come watch the movie with me."

"How is it that you know exactly what I'm thinking?"

"I've taken some time to study you."

Rachel crawled over to Quinn. "And what's your favorite subject?"

"Oh God. Are you trying to flirt with me?"

"Maybe. Just answer the question." Rachel ran her fingertips along Quinn's arm.

Quinn grabbed Rachel's wrist. "Math."

"Math?"

"Yeah," replied Quinn as she rolled Rachel over on her back and got on top of her. She grabbed her other wrist while doing so and pinned her down to the floor. "I like to count how many times I can kiss you until I make you moan. And then multiply that by how far you'd let me go before you say stop."

And with that, Rachel Berry had been defeated. She had no comeback. No witty reply. All she could muster was a small whimper. Because Quinn was on top of her, looking down at her. Smiling at her. Controlling her. Tightening her hands around her wrists as she brought her lips down to meet Rachel's.

Rachel tilted her head up to meet Quinn's mouth as Katharine and Cary performed a gravity defying tumbling act. And that's the last thing she remembered about the film. Because after that, her entire focus was on Quinn. It took four minutes until Rachel moaned into Quinn's mouth. And she couldn't help but wonder exactly how long it would take until she said stop. Based on the aching between her legs, her guess was never. She would never say stop.


	14. Sharing Different Heartbeats In 1 Night

At some point, the movie had ended and the TV screen turned blue after the credits ran. Rachel had no idea exactly when that happened. She was too busy indulging in the feeling of Quinn's lips on her neck. It wasn't until Quinn pulled away and said, "Rachel, look at me," did she open her eyes to see Quinn's blue-tinted face staring down at her.

Rachel's wrists were up over her head with Quinn's hands tightly grasping them. And even though there were so many things she wanted to touch, Rachel didn't dare try to move. The last time she tried, Quinn tightened her grip and bit harder on her neck. Rachel found it both painful and erotic. Quinn certainly had a way of controlling the situation. And Rachel was all too ready to comply.

A sweet smile crept upon Quinn's face. "Should we put on another movie?"

Rachel shook her head no.

"Should we go to sleep?"

Again, Rachel responded by emphatically shaking her head no.

Quinn finally loosened her grip on Rachel's wrists and continued to hover over her.

"Well then…what do you want to do?"

It took half a second for Quinn to get her answer. The moment Rachel's hands were free, she reached up to Quinn's neck and pulled her down into another kiss. She loved the feeling of the blonde's weight on her own body, especially while wearing such delicate layers. Rachel was only in her pajama shorts and a RENT t-shirt. And Quinn's sweats were relatively thin. Unlike Rachel, however, she was very obviously wearing a bra under her tank top. A fact that both disappointed and titillated Rachel.

Rachel ran her hand through Quinn's messy blonde hair and brought the other one down to grasp the side of her shirt, wrinkling it in the process. But she didn't care. It took all her strength to not rip it off of her, but Quinn seemed to be the one setting the pace here. And Rachel didn't want to overstep her bounds. She gripped the girl's blonde locks as Quinn's well-informed tongue plunged in and out of her mouth, exploring every inch of Rachel's lips and mouth. Rachel let go of the cotton material of Quinn's shirt and hesitantly moved her hand down, exploring the small of her back and pulling her even closer. Her hand lingered just at the waistband of Quinn's sweats, waiting for any sign of an invitation. Patiently, she waited. It was as if Quinn knew she was slowly killing her with each passing second.

Rachel tried to elicit a response, so she moved her lips, trailing along Quinn's left cheek to her ear. She gradually dipped her tongue into Quinn's ear and felt a shock as a throaty moan escaped the blonde's mouth.

"Ca…can I…" Rachel didn't even know how to finish her question, but Quinn seemed to understand what she wanted. The blonde gave her a simple nod.

"God, Rachel, you can do anything," breathed Quinn. "Anything you want."

Without wasting another moment, Rachel ran her hands over Quinn's ass, studying the curvature and shape, appreciating its smoothness and perfection. Another moan from Quinn's lips, and Rachel knew she was addicted to that sound. But before she could explore any further, Quinn pulled away and pushed herself up. Rachel stared up at the beautiful actress straddling her, wondering what was going through her mind.

Her eyes were fully adjusted to the dim light and she could see Quinn clearly. She watched Quinn's stomach rise and fall and suddenly felt a strong yearning to run her tongue along the length of her abdomen. The blonde was biting her lip, as if contemplating her next move. Rachel waited patiently for a decision to be made. Quinn only hesitated a moment before her hands fell to the hem of her shirt and she lifted it up over her head. Rachel tried not to blink. There was no way she was missing a moment of this. Quinn bent down to kiss Rachel, giving the brunette easy access to her bra. Rachel's breath caught in her throat as she reached behind Quinn's back to unfasten her bra. They broke away from their kiss as the bra straps fell from Quinn's shoulder, then down her arm and finally, to the floor. Quinn sat up, her heavy breathing very apparent to Rachel. She was nervous. Rachel could tell, but she was too preoccupied with what she was seeing to comfort her in any way. Sure, it was a bit selfish, but there was just so much happening. Her eyes widened as she took time to memorize every inch of Quinn's chest.

"Wow." Rachel couldn't believe that was the only reaction she could come up with, but all coherent words seemed to escape her at this moment. She grew slightly concerned for Quinn, whose shoulders were trembling, but she was putting on a brave face, showing Rachel exactly how courageous she could be.

Rachel went with her first instinct, which was to reach up and touch the tender flesh that had just been revealed to her. She palmed the blonde's perfectly formed breasts as Quinn closed her eyes and threw her head back. Rachel felt Quinn's thighs tighten around her hips. Suddenly, Quinn grabbed Rachel's hands, brought them up over her head and pinned them to the floor once more. Quinn was losing control and obviously not happy about it. Rachel allowed her to rectify the situation, but not without teasing her a bit.

"I thought you said I could do anything."

Quinn smirked. "You know me, Rachel. I often change my mind about things."

Rachel locked eyes with her paramour. "Does that include me?"

Quinn placed a kiss on Rachel's nose. "I could never change my mind about you." She adjusted her position and scooted up a bit. "Now close your eyes."

"Why?"

"You ask too many questions."

Rachel obliged and reluctantly closed her eyes.

"Now open your mouth," whispered Quinn.

Rachel fought the urge to ask why and slowly parted her lips, anxiously wondering what to expect. She couldn't hear anything except the blood rushing in her ears and Quinn's heavy breaths. For a moment, nothing happened. She waited. What was Quinn doing? Was she purposefully trying to drive her insane? Suddenly, Rachel gasped and jolted the moment her mouth came into contact with the softest, sweetest flesh her mouth had ever felt. She felt a sudden pounding between her legs as she realized what Quinn had done. Her lips willingly massaged Quinn's breast as her tongue reached out to flick her hardened nipple. She opened her mouth wider, swallowing even more flesh and tugging Quinn's nipple between her teeth.

Quinn's breath grew more staggered.

"Ughhhh…God."

Rachel smiled and was immediately grateful for whatever prompted Quinn to do this. She wanted to badly to touch her other breast, but Quinn seemed dead set on keeping her hands on lockdown. With her eyes still closed, she could feel Quinn writhing above her and began to intensify the use of her tongue. Quinn's panting became more and more evident.

Suddenly, Rachel was left with nothing. She was tasting air and moved her head up to try and capture her flesh once more, but there was nothing there. She opened her eyes.

"Did I say you can open your eyes?" asked Quinn.

"No, but…"

"Close them."

Rachel did and opened her mouth again without being told. She was instantly rewarded with Quinn's other breast submerged in her mouth. She could swear she saw stars as she felt Quinn's nipple harden against her tongue. And she could feel herself practically dripping from her shorts. She couldn't believe what Quinn was doing to her body when Rachel wasn't even the one being touched.

"Jesus, your tongue…fee…feels amazing," moaned Quinn, who was no grinding on top of Rachel's stomach.

Rachel could feel the heat between her legs and wondered how long it would take Quinn to realize that the rest of their clothes were burdens.

It took no time at all, actually. Quinn sat up, her face was bright red and she ran her fingers through her hair.

"It's so hot in here. Are you hot?"

Rachel nodded vigorously. Too many clothes. Must take off.

Quinn grabbed the collar of Rachel's shirt and pulled her up to a sitting position. She licked her lips as Rachel instinctively put her arms up. Before she knew it, Rachel was topless. She swallowed hard and looked down at her chest, then looked back up. Quinn's eyes were mesmerized at the sight. Rachel had a difficult time catching her breath. She was preoccupied with Quinn slowly breaking her down, studying her. Was she good enough? Was she what Quinn was hoping for? Could she measure up?

Rachel's shaky hands reached out to help Quinn out of her sweats. Pretty soon, all that was left was Rachel's shorts, which Quinn wasted no time in pulling off of her. The area between her legs was met with cool air and it was at this moment when Rachel realized just how wet she actually was. Quinn pushed her knee between Rachel's legs, spreading them. Rachel nearly hyperventilated at the sight and the feeling of Quinn settling down between her quivering legs. Her breath hitched as their centers just barely touched.

Rachel's entire body was on fire and the moment Quinn's nipples came into contact with her own, she knew she had never wanted anything more in her entire life. And if Quinn didn't touch her soon, her body might actually shut down and her brain would cease to work. But she needed her brain to work. Because she needed to hold onto this memory forever. The memory of Quinn Fabray on top of her, grazing their nipples together, their tongues fighting for control over each other.

"Rachel?" Quinn's voice was barely audible.

"Yeah?" panted Rachel.

"Are you okay with this?"

Rachel ran her fingers through Quinn's hair and nodded.

"Because...we don't have to-"

"I want to," assured Rachel. "I just…I've never…"

"I know. It's okay. I just don't want you to…regret…anything."

Rachel almost teared up at the thought of Quinn thinking she would regret this. She needed to reassure her. She took Quinn's hand and kissed her fingertips gently. Then, mustering every ounce of confidence she had, guided Quinn's hand down between her legs.

She was met with a look of shock and excitement from Quinn who began to circle around Rachel's clit. Rachel's entire body immediately stiffened. And the moment Quinn pressed on the one spot she had been waiting for, Rachel threw her head back and a loud moan ripped from her mouth. She tried to stifle it, but couldn't. Her toes curled and she bucked her hips up into Quinn's touch.

"Shhhhh. Rachel, your dads might hear us."

"I don't care," whispered a breathless brunette.

"I do. And I know you do too," replied Quinn, whose fingers slowly kept their pace against Rachel's clit.

Rachel closed her eyes and brought the back of her hand up to her mouth trying to silence another moan. She was unsuccessful yet again. She reached out to her left, grabbed the remote and pushed play. Maybe the sound of the movie would drown out the sounds of her ecstasy.

All Rachel could see was Quinn's hair resting on her chest as she felt the blonde's mouth circling her breast as her tongue licked her aching nipple. Her mind went blank right then and there because at that same moment, Quinn's finger that had been lingering at her entrance now dipped inside of her. Rachel's back instinctively arched up.

"Oh my God. Do…do that again."

Quinn obliged. Rachel felt her hot breath and wet tongue circling her breast as her finger began slowly pumping in and out of Rachel. The brunette had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. There was no way Cary and Katharine could drown out the sound she wanted to make. Why did Quinn feel so perfect? Why did it feel like she was everywhere all at once? Why hadn't they done this before? Because she was pretty certain she could never go another day without doing this again.

Her fingers became tangled in Quinn's hair as she pulled her in closer to her chest. She peeked over the blonde's head to watch as her ass moved up and down with every thrust. It was, by far, the hottest thing she had ever seen. It was at this moment Quinn decided to add a second finger inside Rachel, then grazed her clit with her thumb. Rachel's head fell back and her eyes rolled up into her head. At this rate, there was no way she was going to last much longer.

"Oh God…Quinn. I…I'm gonna…"

"It's okay, Rachel."

"God, I don't want it to end."

"Shh…it's okay."

Quinn picked up her pace and her intensity. She tongued Rachel's nipple one last time and palmed her clit with each thrust. She brought her lips next to Rachel's ear. "You're perfect."

And with those actions and those words, Rachel let out a high pitched whimper that turned into an intense groan as she climaxed. Her hips propelled upward, lifting Quinn with them. She shook and shuddered and rode out her orgasm with Quinn's fingers still inside of her. Her body went limp and her head fell back with a thud on her floor. She was gasping for air as Quinn slowly pulled out of her and gazed down at her with a look of both pride and adoration.

Rachel was running on pure adrenaline now. She was exhausted and shaky and dizzy, but she had to know exactly what it felt like to touch her. She captured Quinn's lips and rolled her over until Quinn was on her back and Rachel was on top of her. The brunette swallowed hard as she looked down at Quinn. She had no idea where she wanted to start. There was just so much skin to explore, but if she didn't touch her soon, she would go completely insane. Rachel positioned her thigh between Quinn's legs and pushed against her core as she kissed down her shoulder. The blonde muttered something incoherent and reached her hand out to grab onto something. Anything. Instead, she managed to knock over the bowl of popcorn next to them. Neither girl seemed to notice or care.

Rachel moved her thigh in between Quinn's legs once more and enjoyed the sight of Quinn's neck arching back. She felt her body squirming underneath her as Rachel's hot breath warmed the skin of Quinn's abdomen.

Rachel had always been one for immediate gratification and knowing there was no way she could keep up this teasing, she slowly moved her hand down to Quinn's center and remained there for a moment, drawing tiny circles just outside her most sensitive spot. Rachel nervously bit her lip and made sure to watch Quinn's face as she brushed her fingertips along her slit.

"Fuck…" Quinn cried out.

Rachel circled around Quinn's entrance and moved her finger up to massage her clit. Quinn was trembling beneath her.

"Is this okay?" Rachel could only assume Quinn was enjoying it, but had to know for sure.

"Fuck, Rachel. That is more than…more than okay. Keep…keep doing that," muttered Quinn between breaths.

Rachel was getting turned on all over again just feeling how wet Quinn was. She added another finger to the mix and fervently stroked the spot that made Quinn writhe like that. With her confidence slowly building, Rachel became even bolder. She crashed her lips into Quinn's and entered her, feeling her walls clenching around her fingers. She was pretty sure nothing would ever top this moment.

Quinn was a mess by this point. She was sweating and her voice was almost hoarse from all the groaning.

"Jesus. There's no way you've never done this before," exclaimed Quinn.

Rachel smiled, quite proud of herself.

"You know I haven't."

Rachel watched as Quinn's wall officially came crashing down. The wall she worked so hard to build up over the years was slowly being picked apart by Rachel Berry. In this moment, Quinn's hardened exterior fully faded away. Suddenly, it wasn't "It Girl" Quinn Fabray she was making love to. She was simply Quinn. And she was beautiful. All Rachel could see was the vulnerable, sweet, scared, and trusting Quinn she had come to know and adore. And suddenly it all made sense. Rachel tried so hard to break through to her. She came at her full force. She came at her with a sledgehammer when apparently all she needed was the touch of her finger to tear her wall down. She couldn't believe it was this simple. A sense of power washed over Rachel, as well as an instinctual protectiveness over Quinn. She was pretty sure the other girl was only ever exposed like this one other time and that obviously turned out badly. Rachel refused to let her think this would end up the same way.

With one final curl of Rachel's fingers deep inside, Quinn began to shudder uncontrollably. Rachel felt her walls clamp around her fingers and she watched as tears formed behind Quinn's eyes. The blonde was completely unraveling underneath her and as she came down from her orgasm, Rachel was silenced with the next three words Quinn spoke.

"I love you."

She said it in the most purely raw way, with a hint of pleading. She stared deep into Rachel's eyes and then her body went limp against the floor. Rachel stared at her for a minute before collapsing next to her. She took Quinn's hand in hers and they lay there in silence. For some reason, Rachel simply didn't know how to respond to what Quinn said. But the one thing she did know was that after tonight, nothing was ever going to be the same.

They fell asleep on the floor that night with popcorn strewn everywhere. Rachel had thought about them moving to the bed, but she was exhausted and way too comfortable to move. And besides, Quinn was already asleep with her head on Rachel's chest. There was absolutely no sound reason to disrupt such a beautiful thing.

* * *

The following week, Rachel found it very difficult to hide the constant smile on her face, especially when she was in the presence of Quinn. Her daily routine had been shot to hell by this point, but she didn't seem to care. It was such an odd thing, not caring about missing her morning workout or her nightly skin rituals. But somehow, it didn't seem to matter. She still had her dream of being a Broadway star and still practiced her singing at when, but the stringent routine she had worked out for herself suddenly seemed silly to her. Perhaps it was because she started it all due to her lack of popularity. She didn't have a lot of friends, which left her with plenty of time for other things. Soon enough, she had become obsessive about it. It gave her a sense of control and a sense of meaning in her life. She had no idea that all it would take was a leggy blonde to disrupt it all and turn her world upside down. And she kind of liked it.

It was almost dinner time in the Berry household and Rachel pretended to be engrossed in a text book, but all she had really done was read the same two lines over and over because she couldn't stop thinking about a certain set of hazel-green eyes.

"Rach, sweetie. Why don't you belt out some Barbra while your father's cooking dinner?" Hiram sat down at the piano in their living room and began playing a few notes.

"Hmm?" Rachel looked up from her book, awaking from one of her many Quinn-related daydreams.

"You. Sing. Barbra. Yes? No?" Hiram tried to simplify his request.

"Not tonight, daddy."

From the kitchen, they heard Leroy drop a dish. It startled Rachel.

"Did you just say not tonight?" Leroy ran out of the kitchen and immediately felt Rachel's forehead. "Are you feeling okay, honey? I think she might have a fever."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. I just…I wanted to give my voice a little rest."

Rachel was met with two blank stares.

"I've had a long week."

More blank stares.

"I haven't slept much."

Leroy and Hiram looked at each other and nodded.

"The perfect segue, I suppose," said Hiram. They both sat down on the living room couch and faced their daughter.

"What do you mean?" asked Rachel.

Her dads let out a collective sigh.

"You said you haven't slept much. And we were wondering if maybe it's because of Quinn," began Leroy.

Hiram chimed in. "Now, you know we love her. She's a great girl, but she's over here so much. Even on school nights. And we've been more than hospitable because you've told us how her house isn't exactly the most welcoming place, but maybe now's the time we talk about ending these sleepovers."

Rachel sat up in her chair. "Daddy, no!"

"At least on school nights," said Leroy, but he was met with a nudge by his husband. "Well…maybe weekends, too."

Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You don't want me to see Quinn anymore?" Her voice sounded desperate.

"No, no honey. That's not it at all. We just…oh, how do we bring this up?" asked Leroy.

"Bring what up?" Rachel looked at her dads, waiting for a response of some kind.

Hiram sighed and patted Rachel's knee. "Sweetie, is there something you want to tell us? Something about you and Quinn?"

Rachel's breathing intensified. She felt all the blood drain from her body. Was she really so blind? Did she really think she could fool her dads into thinking Quinn was just a friend?

"I…uh…" She desperately searched around, looking for anything that could save her from the conversation she was most likely about to have with her dads.

"Honey, we know you and Quinn are together," revealed Leroy.

Rachel blinked back a few tears. She felt like she was freefalling, scrambling for some sort of parachute, but finding nothing.

"We love you, Rachel. First and foremost, you have to know that," assured Hiram. "But we need you to be honest with us. We can't trust you unless you trust us. It's going to be okay. I promise."

The tears were flowing freely now as Rachel nodded. She felt lost. Like she had been thrown into a lion's den with nothing but her voice and her wit to protect her. Both of which seemed to be failing her right now.

"Are you and Quinn together?"

"Yeah." Her voice cracked as she swiped at her tears, and she couldn't bring herself to look at them just yet. But with that one word, she felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.

Leroy nodded. "And how long has this been going on?"

"I don't really know. It's hard to say."

Her dads exchanged another look with each other.

"Okay. Fair enough." Leroy leaned forward, trying to get his daughter to meet his eyes. "Rachel, you understand our concern, right? We love you and support you no matter what, but spending all hours of the night with Quinn in your room isn't acceptable. Especially when it's affecting your sleep habits and your extracurricular activities."

"And especially because you two are together. Not just friends." Hiram reminded them.

"Well yes, that too."

Rachel wanted to die. She was pretty sure embarrassment wasn't a very common cause of death, but she was an innovator. Perhaps she would be the first. She continued staring at the ground and kept her hands folded in her lap.

"Can we not talk about this now?"

Leroy leaned back into the couch. "We caught you off guard. Blindsided you. I know that. And if you want to take some time to think about everything before we talk about it, we understand. But at some point, the four of us need to have a conversation."

"The four of us?" It was the first time Rachel looked at them since the beginning of the conversation.

"Me, your dad, you and Quinn. That's four."

"Honey, we just want to know that you're making…right decisions. Quinn is a great girl, but she's got some heavy baggage. We worry about you. Both of you. And we just want you to be smart about this, okay?"

Rachel stood up. She wasn't ready to talk and she sure as hell knew Quinn wouldn't be ready to talk so openly about this.

"Can I go now?"

They nodded.

"Dinner in twenty," reminded Leroy.

Rachel turned to go, but not before asking one lingering question.

"Daddy?

"Yeah?"

Rachel looked at the ground and then back up at Hiram.

"How did you know?

Hiram smiled and shrugged. "A father always knows."


End file.
